Nichelle Stewart of Canton has been selected to a three-year term on the Georgia Farm Bureau's (GFB) Women's Leadership Committee. A member of Cherokee County Farm Bureau (CCFB), Stewart will represent GFB District 1 and promote Georgia agriculture and healthy nutrition choices.

Stewart is an active member of the CCFB and currently serves as chairman of the CCFB Promotion & Education Committee and as co-chairman of the CCFB Women's Committee. She and her husband, Tim, raise fruits and vegetables on their farm in Canton, which also includes a farm market.

Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the largest general farm organization in the state. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.

Several Cherokee County firefighters participated in the Fight for Air Climb, held recently at the One Ninety One Peachtree Tower in downtown Atlanta. The climb, which is sponsored by the American Lung Association, is metro Atlanta's largest vertical competition. Participants climb 51 floors to help raise awareness for the 35 million Americans who suffer from asthma.

Participants in the Fight for Air Climb include individuals, families, teams and public safety officials. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services finished in third place in the team competition. Cherokee County firefighters Sgt. Eric Robidou and Jonathan Gottfried took first place in their respective age brackets. Also participating in the "quick dress" drill were firefighters Chris George and Chris Roberts. Other Cherokee County firefighters who participated in the event were Lt. Ric Mitchell, Lt. Alec Adams, Sgt. Frank Madonna, and Doug Hocker.

The Canton Main Street Program and Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of the new Fincher-Adkins Park with a special ribbon cutting ceremony on May 14. The event featured live music by Jordan Grassi, along with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers served up by Michael Buckner and Ryan Quinlan of Audio Intersection.

The park is located at 101 E. Main St. in Downtown Canton, at the site of a commercial building that was destroyed by fire in December 2009. The building's owners, John Fincher and John Adkins, agreed to lease the property to the City of Canton for the new park. Fincher-Adkins Park is open to the public to enjoy lunch on the lawn. Meghan Griffin, director of Canton Main Street Program, said the space has the potential for hosting a variety of events in the future, including movies and music in the park.

Cherokee County Farm Bureau will host a Safety Day Camp June 18, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., at Lazy D Farm, 848 Bishop Road, Ball Ground, for area youth ages 8-12. The camp will cover ATV, tractor, animal, bike, gun, electricity, fire, water, severe weather, and Internet safety. In addition, children will be provided lunch, a camp T-shirt and goody bag. Safety Day Camp is free, but registration is required by June 9. Call the Cherokee County Farm Bureau office at 770-479-1481, ext. 0, to register.

Hopewell Baptist Church will host a Battle of the Bands contest to benefit pancreatic cancer research in support of youth worship leader Robbie Miller, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The event will feature several Atlanta-based worship bands competing for the Battle of the Bands title, along with special guest speakers, including Miller sharing his personal story. Donations and proceeds from the event will support pancreatic cancer research. Come out and wear purple to show your support. The event will be held 6:00-10:00 p.m., May 10, at Extreme Life youth center at Hopewell Baptist Church, 78 Ridge Road, Canton.

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services was honored with the Region 1 EMS Service of the Year Award at the Region 1 EMS awards banquet, held recently in Dalton, Ga. The Region I EMS Service of the Year Award is presented to any Region 1 EMS Service, Licensed First Responder Service or Air Ambulance Service that has maintained a high performance level and spotless record; made improvements or contributions that benefit the citizens it serves; and contributed significantly by going above and beyond the call of duty at the community, regional and state level.

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services also won the Region 1 EMS Service of the Year Award in 2008. This award automatically places Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services as a nominee for the statewide award, to be presented May 22.

In addition, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Medical Director Dr. Jill Mabley was honored with the Dr. Virginia Hamilton Special Service Award. This award is given to a person who has given outstanding contributions to the development, implementation and delivery of emergency medical services in Region 1 and the state of Georgia.

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services presented a check for $2,930 to Zach Blend, director of Residential Life at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, located in the Salacoa area of Cherokee County.  The donation was from the fire departments winnings from the recent Guns and Hoses 5K Run. The purpose of Goshen Valley Boys Ranch is to provide hope and a family-model home for boys who do not have either. According to Blend, the money will be used to pay for fees in order for the boys to play any of the sports offered at Cherokee High School.

The Cherokee County Historical Societys annual Preservation Awards Banquet, held March 21 at Northside Hospital-Cherokee Conference Center at the Bluffs, recognized four businesses and individuals for their achievement in historic preservation. Properties were judged by the attention given to preserving historic features and maintaining the integrity of initial design. Those receiving a 2014 Historic Preservation Award were:

• McCanless Park Scout Hut, Canton Constructed around 1940, the Scout Hut was provided by the McCanless families in honor of William (Bill) McCanless, son of Eugene and Hettie McCanless, and Cantons first known Eagle Scout. Boy Scout Troup 241 renovated the Scout Hut, taking care to maintain the historic integrity while making necessary upgrades to keep it functional for an active scout troup.
• Fackler-Hendrix Home, Canton This Craftsman style home built in 1923 by Newman and Edna Fackler stayed in the Fackler family until the late 1980s, when it was purchased by Quinn and Martha Hendrix. Martha lived in the home until 2010 and began the renovation that was completed by her son, Greg, and his wife, Katherine.
• Ball Ground City Gym, Ball Ground The Ball Ground City Gym was built as a community project for the Ball Ground School in 1948-49. The City of Ball Ground purchased the gym when the school closed in 2012 and made extensive repairs to the roof, upgraded the electrical system and refinished the floors. The gym has truly become a community center and is being used for more than 16 games each week.
• R&M Hoagie Shop, Canton This one-story brick building built prior to 1918 was used as a barbershop in the 1930s and 1940s, and as the R&M Hoagie Shop since the 1970s. Mike Deluca and his family completed a renovation of the building, exposing the old brick walls and original wood floors and removing the dropped ceiling to reveal the original ceiling and skylight.

Navy veteran Tom Doner of Canton was recently awarded a Veterans Volunteer Award by the Hightower Trail Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), recognizing outstanding achievement, including patriotism and public awareness of veterans. Doner, a Korean Conflict veteran, currently volunteers at the Georgia National Cemetery. Doner was also selected as top honoree by the Georgia Society of the DAR.

Holly Springs has been ranked as the No. 4 safest city in Georgia on The SafeWise Report, which ranks the 50 safest cities in Georgia. To compile the report, SafeWise used the most recent FBI crime data from 2012, population, and other ranking factors, including unique safety initiatives and security programs implemented within the past few years. What is most impressive to me about a state like Georgia is the collective dedication to both personal and community safety, said Carolyn Heneghan, SafeWise security analyst. Of the 50 cities we recognized, its not just the small towns but also the bigger cities that all take part in keeping themselves, their neighbors, and their children safe.