Local News New Fire Chief Takes the Helm
Eddie Robinson is the new fire chief for Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services. Robinson, who formerly served as deputy chief of support services, is succeeding Tim Prather, who served Cherokee County for 35 years. “When reviewing the applications and interviewing for the fire chief position, Chief Robinson stood out as a natural successor to Chief Prather,” County Manager Geoff Morton said. “He brings substantial institutional knowledge to the role, having served with fire and emergency services since 1994, including the last 11 years at headquarters.” Robinson said it’s an honor to have the trust and support of county leadership. “I have had the privilege of serving the residents of Cherokee County for many years, alongside some amazing firefighters, from the individual stations to headquarters,” Robinson said. “I have dedicated my life to the American fire service, and to the residents of our wonderful county, and I will lead the department to the best of my ability, with the help of some of the best men and women that the fire service can have.”
Eddie Robinson 8
AROUND CANTON | March 2022
Mayor Bill Grant (second from left), Councilors Brooke Schmidt, Sandy McGrew, Dwayne Waterman and City Manager Billy Peppers, with GMA Executive Director/CEO Larry Hanson (far right) and Georgia Trend Co-Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ben Young (far left).
Canton Honored With Visionary City Award
Canton was given the Visionary City Award during the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) 2022 Cities United Summit; GMA and Georgia Trend magazine presented the city with the honor, for the city’s Roadmap for Success initiative. The award honors cities that have created positive community change through effective civic engagement and collaboration. “The city of Canton is extremely honored to receive the Visionary City Award from the Georgia Municipal Association and Georgia Trend magazine,” said Mayor Bill Grant. “This prestigious recognition for our city’s forward thinking, collaboration and civic engagement is a true testament to the exemplary leadership our Council and management team have demonstrated with the creation and implementation of our Roadmap for Success. “While this award is a high honor, it is even more gratifying to have other cities and leaders in Georgia contacting us to learn how Canton’s Roadmap and vision can help them move their own communities forward. This is truly leading with success, and we are humbled by this special recognition.”
History Cherokee Launches Black History Committee
History Cherokee has established a Black History Committee, which will be dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of Black history in Cherokee County. The goal is to collect the stories, images and artifacts from the earliest settlement to today, and to make sure these stories are told. “The history of Black people is often overlooked. When it comes to collection and preservation, elements of Black history get disregarded by the institutions that decide whose history gets saved and whose doesn’t — and we want to do our part in changing that in Cherokee County,” said Harvee White, History Cherokee’s education manager. History Cherokee already has made exciting headway on this commitment to Cherokee County’s Black history, as it prepares for the opening of the Cherokee County History Center. Currently, staff is working to create a documentary with a Georgia film crew and local civil rights activists, covering the integration of the former Canton Theatre. Visitors will find this documentary at the Cherokee County History Center when it opens this summer. The integration of the Canton Theatre is just one example of a vast history to preserve and share, and History Cherokee needs help to do it. Led by White and a few volunteers committed to the Black History Committee’s mission, the group plans on digging deeper, to preserve and share the Black stories of Cherokee County. To join History Cherokee’s Black History Committee, contact White at hwhite@ historycherokee.org.
