Northside Hospital health system CEO Robert Quattrocchi has been named a winner of the sixth annual Glassdoor Employees Choice Award, ranking no. 32 on the list of 100 top CEOs in the United States.

Quattrocchi was one of only two Georgia-based CEOs named in the rankings, which are calculated from Glassdoors employee reviews of more than 700,000 companies around the world.

He also was among more than a dozen health care CEOs named in the top 100, which included the leaders of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and St. Judes Childrens Hospital.

Among chief executives recognized by employees in the United States, Quattrocchi received an impressive 95 percent approval rating, which is based on anonymous and voluntary reviews shared by Northside Hospital employees on Glassdoor in the past twelve months.

This recognition is possible only because of the people of Northside Hospital, said Quattrocchi, who has been with the Atlanta-based health care system for more than thirty years. The strength and dedication of Northsides physicians and employees is unsurpassed I havent seen anything like it in my career.

What they do for patients and families is remarkable. Their work has built a culture of excellence that nurtures great patient care teams, Quattrocchi added. Northsides people make a huge difference every day, and it makes me very proud to be their colleague.

As president and CEO of the Northside Hospital health system since 2004, Quattrocchi has led Northside to become one of the most respected health care organizations in the Southeast, serving three million patient encounters annually.

Twelve Brownie Girl Scouts from Troop 14662 earned the highest recognition available to scouts in second and third grades. The girls earned the Brownie Journey Summit Award for completing all three National Leadership Journeys at their grade level. The Brownies were mentored by Cadette Scouts in Troop 11410 and Troop 11428. All participating scouts live in Cherokee County. The Brownies, who just started fourth grade, include Sophie Abbott, MaryJo Brown, Catherine Hof, Joan Hof, Amilia Huggins, Cheyanne Landers, Lucy Paire, Livi Rogers, Sophie Sabaj-Griffeth, Carah Samples, Celia Williams, and Emily Worosz.

The Cadettes who provided invaluable leadership to the younger girls include Evie Clark, Bela Hernandez, Grace Kicak, Lydia Klements, Julia Sick, and Allie Zimmerman. For this award, the girls focused on the environment and how to be better people through friendships, said Brownie Co-Leader Maria Huggins. They also learned qualities of leadership from working with their older Cadette sisters. The Cadettes played a huge role in helping the girls to grow. While planning and leading Journey events for the Brownies, the Cadettes earned hours required for the Leader in Action and Program Aide Awards.

I think the biggest change I saw in the Cadettes was an increase in confidence. They were so pumped after working with the younger girls, said Cadette Leader Connie Klements. Theyre going from being the little girl in Girl Scouts to being the leader, and their confidence really soared.

The Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Cherokee Countys 2018 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. The Top 10 in 10 initiative is designed to cultivate and showcase exceptional Cherokee County young professionals, said Pam Carnes, Chamber president and CEO. This recognition program focuses on residents under age forty who are considered to be Cherokee Countys up and coming leaders over the next ten years.

Cherokee Countys 2018 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch are Jessica Akers, director of Falany Performing Arts Center and adjunct instructor of business, Reinhardt University; Tori OBryant, practice coordinator, Northside Hospital Towne Lake Primary Care; Leah Bleisath, assistant principal at Creekland Middle School; Julie Peppers, assistant principal at Carmel Elementary School; Jennifer Puckett, co-owner of In Harmony Pediatric Therapy and owner of Therabeat, Inc.; Ollie Evans, chiropractor and clinic director of Holly Springs Chiropractic and Massage; Heath Matiak, general manager and co-owner of R & D Mechanical Services; Nick Estes, vice president of finance at Chart, Inc.; Brandon Roberts, founder of Branches of Faith; Michael Manzella, principal at E.T. Booth Middle School.

Hickory Flat is one of the oldest communities in Cherokee County. In recent years, it has experienced tremendous growth. As a result, most of the historic buildings in the community have been lost. The Hickory Flat Store and Masonic Hall was one of the last remaining historic buildings that once supported a thriving farm community.

This former store, gas station, and Masonic Hall was built in 1950 at the intersection of Highway 140 and East Cherokee Drive. The store was originally owned by the Quarles family, and it was run by Jim and Myrtie Pinyan and Laurence Turner, among others.

The second floor of the store was used as a Masonic Hall, and the Hickory Flat Masons installed the cornerstone when it was built. This brick building replaced an earlier wood structure that stood on one of the four corners that was the epicenter of historic Hickory Flat.

In recent years, the building had become vacant and neglected. When nearby development threatened, the Cherokee County Historical Society placed the store on its Sites Worth Saving list (RockBarn.org/historic-sites-worth-saving/). When it became known that there were plans to demolish it, the community rallied around efforts by the Historical Society to save the structure. Over 1,200 people signed an online petition and shared remembrances about the store.

Despite overwhelming support to save the building, it was demolished in June by the owner. At present time, there are no laws protecting historic buildings in Cherokee County. The Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education, and we will continue to campaign for stronger measures to safeguard the historic landmarks that define Cherokee County. To support the Historical Societys efforts, please join/donate at RockBarn.org, or call 770-345-3288.

CCSD Media Specialist of the Year Jennifer Lewis was recently named the Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year!

Congratulations to Jennifer on a much-deserved recognition from her peers, said Dr. Brian V. Hightower, superintendent of CCSD. We are so proud for her, for our District, and for Indian Knoll Elementary School to know her talents and skills as a media specialist are recognized as the best in the state.

Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is among select centers in the country to offer chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy for adult patients with certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Yescarta is the first-ever, FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy to treat adults with certain types of large B-cell lymphoma who have not responded to or who have relapsed after at least two other kinds of treatment. The treatment is one of several therapies available from Northside Hospital Cancer Institutes newly launched Immunotherapy Program.

Immunotherapy works by taking immune cells, genetically modifying them to be better tumor-fighting immune cells, multiplying them to great numbers (tens of thousands), and then infusing them into the patient where they can find and attack cancer. Such transplants represented the first definitive proof of the human immune systems capacity to cure cancer. Now, through studying CAR T-cells, cancer researchers are developing new ways to strengthen and empower a patients own immune system.

To date, approximately 45 cancer centers nationwide are certified to offer this new treatment. Northside is one of just two facilities in Georgia that has the capacity and facilities to manage the toxicity of immunotherapy agents and that is certified to offer Yescarta.

For more information about the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Immunotherapy Program, visit Northside.com/immunotherapy or BMTGa.com.

On behalf of the City of Holly Springs, Mayor Steven Miller recently presented L.R. Tippens Education Center Principal Kelly Strickland with a check for $7,435 following the Citys annual Memorial Day 5k and Fun Run on May 26.

Strickland is excited to get to work with the net proceeds of the 5k, which had over 120 participants. I cant tell you how blessed I feel to be able to open up school in the fall knowing that we can greatly improve our program, she said. We have been trying to raise money for a walking path to be used by our students as a coping strategy, but we keep coming up short. This generous donation will help us to reach that goal and will also allow us to add to our sensory room and our Training Academy, which features mock businesses where students can practice career skills and prepare for success after graduation. I feel honored to be a part of the Holly Springs community and to be Partners in Education with the City of Holly Springs.

On July 6-27, celebrate local artists and their beautiful creations. Every summer, artist members come out and share their passion with the rest of the community. All types of art mediums will be for sale. Visit the Cherokee Arts Center (94 North Street, Canton) Tuesday through Friday, 11:00am-5:00pm, and Saturday 12:00-5:00pm. There will also be a reception on July 6 from 6:00-8:00pm. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 770-704-6244, or visit CherokeeArts.org.

Three Cherokee County firefighters were recently promoted during ceremonies held at the Cherokee County Fire Training Complex. Shannon Gibbs was promoted to the rank of battalion chief. Clay Cloud was promoted to captain, and Justin Williams was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Congratulations!

Non-emergency issues such as graffiti, potholes or traffic safety issues, or requests for brush pickup can now be reported by sending a quick and easy email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

But, if you know of a hazardous situation that needs immediate attention (open manhole cover, etc.) or want to report in-progress problems, please call 770-720-7674. However, email should not be used to report emergencies of any kind. Please dial 911 for emergencies.

To help resolve your matter, the City of Canton may have additional questions. They will be in touch within one business day.

Also, to report water service issues, call 770-704-1502 (M-F, 8:00am-5:00pm) or 770-479-2392 (after hours).