CCSD Awards Anti-Vaping PSA Winners Cherokee County School District (CCSD) recently held its first student video PSA contest to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping. More than 60 students in grades 6-12, working individually or on teams, created and entered short public service announcement-style videos to educate their classmates. Entries were judged on message, quality, and creativity. The initial announcement of the contest called for one winner to receive $500, sponsored by the Service League of Cherokee County. Due to the strong response and outstanding quality of entries, two runners-up also were named, and each received a $100 Amazon gift card funded by CCSD partner donations. The overall winner was Chloe Feibus, a seventh grader at Creekland Middle School. The runners-up were Alicia Mazzurra, a senior at River Ridge High School, and Casten Augustine, an eighth grader at E.T. Booth Middle School.
Cherokee History Museum and Visitors Centers New Location The Cherokee County History Museum and Visitors Center recently relocated to a new building in downtown Canton. Members of the Cherokee County Historical Society moved the offices, archives, artifacts, and museum exhibits to 221 E. Marietta Street, which is the former Canton Police Department building, adjacent to Brown Park. The Historical Society had been based in the Cherokee County Historic Courthouse building for more than 15 years. The move to the new space marks an important milestone for the group dedicated to preserving Cherokee Countys heritage and culture.This new space offers an opportunity to provide a permanent home to our collections and expand our cultural and educational offerings to our community, said Historical Society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner.The museum has an expanded gift shop and Visitors Center, along with a small exhibit space detailing the history of Cherokee County. The gift shop features handmade and locally sourced gifts, which will be continually updated to reflect the communities that make up Cherokee County. The museums collections and archives are also available by appointment, Monday through Friday. Further expansion is on the horizon with plans underway for a capital campaign to enhance the space as a cultural hub and history center that will include interactive historical exhibits, retail space, research, and office space. Projected completion is estimated in 2022. Admission is free, and museum hours will remain the same: Wednesday through Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm.For more information, please contact Executive Director Stefanie Joyner, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 770-345-3288.
Leading By Feeding Food Drive The graduates of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerces Leadership Cherokee from 2012-2019 were recently challenged to secure contributions for local food pantries. The Leadership Cherokee Leading by Feeding campaign generated 8,399 donated items, ranging from fruits and vegetables to diapers and paper products, which was a 171% increase in collections over the inaugural 2018 campaign. Leading by Feeding supported those in our community who need a helping hand by filling the pantries of both the organizations who coordinate the pantries and the families in need, shared Pam Carnes, president and CEO of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. The Leadership Cherokee Class of 2019 collected the most items, totaling 3,552. The class received the Golden Can Award, signifying their commitment to the community and volunteerism. The local Chamber member food pantries supported through the Leading by Feeding initiative included Encompass Ministries - Papas Pantry, MUST Cherokee, and Never Alone.
Help Local Children Have a Holiday To Remember Several Edward Jones offices in Cherokee County are giving back this holiday season by partnering with the Cherokee County Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to ensure local children have a holiday to remember. Each participating Edward Jones branch office is sponsoring five children. DFCS provided holiday wish lists for each child. The financial advisors and branch office administrators in each of the participating offices will partner with families, friends, community members, business partners, and clients to ensure these children receive the gifts on their lists.Gifts can be dropped off at each branch office until Tuesday, December 17. Wish lists can be picked up and items donated at the following Edward Jones locations: Paul Fernandez and Lorie Carmichael 7768 Cumming Highway, Suite 1000, Canton 678-493-5619Mike Harper and Kellee Lee 367 Waleska Road, Canton770-720-7835Louis Seeley310 Paper Trail Way, Suite 203, Canton 770-213-3599Bill Spencer and Sharon Thall 150 Prominence Point Parkway, Suite 800, Canton 770-479-4758
Healing Hands Youth Ranch Closes As 2019 comes to an end, the staff at Healing Hands Youth Ranch has announced that the organizations doors have closed. We want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to all of our volunteers, supporters, students, and families. We wish all the best to those who have been a part of our program. And above all, we thank God for allowing us this opportunity for the last 11 years, said Healing Hands Youth Ranchs Jennifer Simonis.Healing Hands Youth Ranchs mission was to create an environment where children and horses could find love and healing together. Families were invited to the ranch to interact with horses, other farm animals, and country life with the hope that it would provide valuable life lessons of faith and trust.
Downtown Canton Parking Deck Update The City of Canton downtown parking deck design is underway. City staff members have been working closely with designers to create not only a new place to park, but also a deck that complements Cantons aesthetic. The current proposed design will contain approximately 305 parking spaces. This design will also incorporate the realignment of the intersection of Archer Street and W. Marietta Street. The current estimated time of completion is late 2020. The City Council reviewed concept plans for the exterior of this project at the November 7 work session. This project is funded through sales tax proceeds approved by the voters.
Wally Rogers Retires After 31 Years as Prosecutor Assistant District Attorney Wallace Wally Rogers, Jr. recently retired after 31 years of service to the State of Georgia, including 26 years in the Blue Ridge Judicial District. Originally from Albany, Georgia, Rogers graduated from Emory University, served in the U.S. Army, and completed law school at the University of Georgia. In 1974, Rogers started his prosecuting career in Floyd County. Rogers served as a Cherokee County prosecutor from 1980-1988, then worked 11 years in private practice, returning to the DAs office in 2001. Throughout his career, Rogers prosecuted many criminal cases, but his passion has always been juvenile court, where he handled nearly 6,000 cases in the last 10 years. Its been a joy working with Wally for so many years, said District Attorney Shannon Wallace. As the most senior member of our office, Wally has for decades served in a leadership role to everyone in this office. His longevity has been a gift, as he has mentored and guided so many of our young prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates. We will miss him tremendously. Rogers and his wife Meg have four children and six grandchildren. During his retirement, Rogers will offer his services as a local defense
Reinhardt, Chattahoochee Tech Partner To Benefit Students Reinhardt University and Chattahoochee Technical College are coming together to offer Chattahoochee Tech students a smooth transition to Reinhardt to complete their four-year degree in nursing.The Educational Pathway enables Chattahoochee Tech students who earn their Associate of Science in Nursing to continue at Reinhardts Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The Pathway also includes Reinhardts RN to BSN online program. The articulation agreement highlights classes that will transfer from Chattahoochee Tech to Reinhardts nursing programs and is applicable for the 2019-2021 academic years. We will work with these students with our full commitment and our full vigor to ensure we generate more nurses in this very important area of the state, said Dr. Jacob Harney, Reinhardt associate provost and dean of the School of Mathematics and Sciences. We want to thank you very much and look forward to further collaboration.Dr. Ron Newcomb, president of Chattahoochee Technical College, commented on the longstanding partnership Reinhardt and Chattahoochee Tech have enjoyed over the years, and said it was fitting to celebrate the event. What a great way to memorialize a wonderful partnership, Newcomb said. We consider Reinhardt to be a very valuable and very active partner. We are honored that we now have a memorialized pathway for our students. Weve long had a great relationship with Reinhardt and are so delighted to have this signing.attorney.
Canton Moose Lodge Honors First Responders The Canton Moose Lodge recently honored individuals with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services with the following 2019 Public Safety Service Awards:Battalion 1 Firefighter Award Lt. Brady CornelisonBattalion 2 Firefighter AwardSgt. Nick DurhamBattalion 3 Firefighter Award FAO Isaac BjorklundVolunteer Firefighter Award Brice FutchEMS Employee of the Year Award Sgt. Dwayne BarbeeFire Administration Award Lisa Marie WrightSpecial Operations Award Bill HeskethExplorer of the Year Award Gabriel Shull
Successful Run, Walk, or Roll 5K and Fun Run With the communitys support as well as the support of more than 35 sponsors and numerous volunteers, Next Step Ministries 6th Annual Run, Walk, or Roll 5K and Fun Run was the biggest yet, with over 500 registered participants and $35,000 raised. This fundraiser supports Next Step Ministries continued programs for people with special needs.
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