Nicole Wechter was one of 5 women chosen last June by Womens Day magazine to participate in their Live Longer and Stronger Challenge. With the guidance from Joy Bauer (from the Today Show) and the Womens Day team, she worked to improve her overall heart health. Nicole is featured in the March issue of Womens Day magazine, and was also featured on a segment of the Today Show. In addition, she got to be one of the honored guests at the Womens Day final reveal at the Red Dress Awards in NYC.

Nicole lost 76 lbs., cut her cholesterol medicine in half and completely eliminated her blood pressure issues. With a strong history of breast cancer on both sides of her family, she got tested for the BRCA mutation and tested positive. She then had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed and will have a double mastectomy this year, so she will no longer be at risk for breast/ovarian cancer.

SafeWise has released its list of the safest cities in Georgia, and three Cherokee County cities rank in the top 25. Holly Springs comes in at number 15 on the list, followed by Canton (21), and Woodstock (25), respectively.

The safest cities are ranked by reviewing the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics from 2014, which is the most recent data available for a full calendar year. Cities with less than 4,000 residents or that dont submit crime data to the FBI are not considered for inclusion on the list. The list is further narrowed by reviewing the number of reported violent and property crimes in each of the cities.

Cherokee County School District winners now are headed to the 2015-16 Georgia PTA Reflections competition. The annual contest gives students in all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in various categories for the opportunity to earn recognition at the school, county, state and national levels.

This years theme was Let Your Imagination Fly, and more than 1,900 CCSD students in kindergarten through 12th grade submitted entries in the six categories of dance, film/video production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.

Six interns recently graduated from Project SEARCH, a nine-month program for young adults with disabilities that provides hands-on and classroom work-related skills.

Project SEARCH is a partnership with host business Northside Hospital-Cherokee, Cross Plains Community Partner, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Cherokee Navigator Team and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities to develop daily job tasks for the interns.

The uniformed interns reported to Northside Hospital-Cherokee five days a week and participated in a variety of jobs called rotations. Job rotations for each intern are 3-10 weeks throughout the course of the program.

Interns begin their day at 8:00 am in the classroom, where they learn business soft-skills; they then report to their job and complete their day around 2:00 pm in the classroom.

Project SEARCH employs two employment specialists to assist interns and hospital staff for the entire day.

The interns meet the high work standards of the host business, are dependable, hard- working, determined and positive, said Elizabeth Hunter, supported employment manager for Cross Plains Community Partner. The ultimate goal is to use the skills they learn to gain competitive employment within the community.

Project SEARCHs new class of interns will begin building their skills in May.

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services received a check for $110,000 from the volunteers with the Hickory Flat Volunteer Fire Department.

The funding, with additional monies from the county, was used in the purchase of a new fire engine that will be used at Station 23 in the Hickory Flat Community. According to Chief Larry Berry, The funds came from donations obtained from the people within our community.

Cherokee County Commissioner and former Fire Chief, Raymond Gunnin, accepted the check from Chief Larry Berry, with HFVFD Rookie of the Year, Alex Stice, HFVFD Firefighter of the Year, Jack Tuszynski and HFVFD Board member, Jim Hubbard. Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, Assistant Fire Chief, Eddie Robinson, Field Operations Chief, Greg Erdely and firefighters from Station 23 were also in attendance.

Chief Tim Prather said, The Hickory Flat Volunteer Fire Department has been an important part of our county for 40 years now. Still, to this day, they are committed to helping their community by providing quality fire service protection. Hickory Flat volunteers also serve parts of Canton and Woodstock.

The Hickory Flat Volunteer Fire Department is recruiting for new membership. If you or someone you know is looking for an exciting and rewarding way to serve your local community, consider volunteering and being part of your local volunteer fire department.

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation scored a hole-in-one at its Third Annual CCEF Golf Classic by raising a record $29,000 to support schools, teachers and students.

The nonprofit CCEF, which raises funds and awareness for the Cherokee County School District, recently held the tournament at Woodmont Golf & Country Club with presenting sponsor, Northside Hospital-Cherokee.

The trophies, as has become a CCEF Golf Classic tradition, were designed and crafted by art students at all of CCSDs high schools. Each schools art department was presented with an honorarium donation by CCEF in appreciation for their work.

Students in 9th through 12th grade are invited to enter the Georgia Farm Bureau Art Contest. The artwork should be drawn in black ink or dark soft lead pencil, on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of white paper. The artwork should be camera ready. The winner of the Cherokee County Farm Bureau Art Contest will receive: First Place County Winner $100 Walmart gift card, and Second Place County Winner $75 Walmart gift card. Each First Place and Second Place School winner will receive a $50 Walmart gift card.

Drawings will be judged on how well the artwork represents modern agriculture found in Cherokee or Georgias agriculture industry and artistic merit.

To enter this contest and view other contests and scholarship opportunities available, students should contact the Cherokee County Farm Bureau for an official entry form and contest rules (770-479-1481 ext. 0), or visit GFB.org/programs/aic for more information. All entries must be received at the Cherokee County Farm Bureau office by Friday, February 12, 2016.

$20,700 was raised at the BridgeMill Sixes Service Leagues 6th Annual Golf FORE Charity Event. Many thanks to our sponsors, golfers and volunteers. Thanks to all of you, BSSL is able to help and support over 16 charities in Cherokee County.

Chattahoochee Technical College has established a Green Zone initiative to support student veterans by helping to create awareness of/education about military culture and those service members trying to transition into civilian and college life.

The purpose of the Green Zone Program is to serve our veterans and veteran family members enrolled at Chattahoochee Technical College as they have served and supported us in defending our country and our freedom, said CTC Communication and Veteran Services Coordinator, Barry Munday.

While the term Green Zone describes a safe and secure place, Munday said, Its more about the people providing support to student veterans rather than a physical location. The college currently has 89 faculty and staff members among its eight campuses who have completed the training and are certified as Green Zone Participants.

Faculty and staff who are knowledgeable on the issues faced by student veterans and their families, as well as the resources available to assist them, are identified by a Green Zone emblem outside of their office door and/or on their syllabus.

WellStar Health System teamed up with CASA for Children Inc. and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children to create a safe and warm home environment for foster children to rebuild family bonds.

The Childrens Haven was created to give foster kids the opportunity to succeed by bringing a variety of support programs under one roof. The not-for-profit evolved from the organization originally known as CASA for Children, Inc. The new Childrens Haven name better encompasses all of the services provided for foster children.

The new WellStar Family Visitation Center at the Childrens Haven is a warm, homey environment, including a full working kitchen, dining room and living room full of child-appropriate toys and centers. The space allows children to feel more comfortable while spending time with their parents. Designed for family bonding, the room is equipped with closed circuit cameras and security systems to keep children safe.

Other services at The Childrens Haven include CASA, Rainbows Grief Support Groups and Teach One to Lead One Mentoring.