Local News

Planning Begins On City Center

The Woodstock City Council approved a letter of intent with Woodstock City Partners at a recent city council meeting, outlining the roles and responsibilities regarding the City Center project at the former site of Morgan’s Ace Hardware.

The city will fund public infrastructure improvements, including approximately 650 spaces in a public parking deck, modifications to the existing road and pedestrian network, and a much-needed meeting and event facility. Funding is anticipated to come from SPLOST and other revenue sources, with no impact on the city’s general operating fund.

Cheri Morris, president of Morris and Fellows, and Woodstock City Partners have assembled a development team tasked with delivering an $80 million private development focusing on additional retail and restaurant opportunities, a boutique hotel with meeting space, and professional office space. They will purchase the private parcels from the city for $1.5 million.

In 2015, Morris and Fellows was selected as the city’s private partner for a development project on cityowned property along Towne Lake Parkway, following a competitive request for qualifications, and formed Woodstock City Partners to act as master developer of the project. The city council decided to turn its attention to the acquisition and redevelopment of the Ace site after it became available, determining it was a better location for the planned parking deck associated with the project.

It is anticipated that the public information for this project will begin this spring; the project could open in mid 2024. For more information, visit woodstockga.gov.

Tournament Director Mark Sheldon, left, and Cherokee Senior Services Director Tim Morris.

Donation a Boost to Meals on Wheels

Cherokee County’s Meals on Wheels program was given a $5,500 donation from a recent fundraiser held by Cherokee County Senior Services, Trainhopper Disc Golf and Stand Up for Seniors, formerly known as the Volunteer Aging Council.

The 21st annual Cold Snake Classic Disc Golf Tournament was held at Sequoyah Park Dec. 1213, and drew 143 players from across the state. All proceeds from the event went to benefit Stand Up for Seniors, which supports the county’s Meals on Wheels program and other services for local seniors.

For more information on Stand Up for Seniors, visit vac-cherokeega.org, and to learn more about the Meals on Wheels program, visit cherokeega.com/Senior-Services.

Fundraiser to Benefit Veterans Project

The Highland Rivers Foundation is planning a kickoff fundraiser, set for 7:30-9 a.m. May 12, in support of establishing an evidence-based, peerled support community for veterans in Cherokee County. The community is based on the concept of a green zone, where military men and women can find local peer support and recovery services. It will be named the Green Zone – Veterans Recovery Center, and will be part of the Highland Rivers Behavioral Health Service system.

The center will be available to all veterans around the state; the cost to establish the Green Zone is $1.4 million.

The Reveille Kickoff breakfast fundraiser will be held at Venue 92, 12015 Highway 92 in Woodstock, and will feature guest speakers, including recovery clinicians, corporate foundation and individual supporters, and veterans, speaking on the importance of having an accessible green zone staffed and led by peers. The breakfast is being planned by the Highland Rivers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To RSVP, email sherrymcgee@highliandrivers.org, or call 706-590-9238.

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.

Moving Reunion for Firefighters, Patients

Citizens who were rescued by Cherokee County firefighters in two life-saving events were able to thank them in person during a special recognition ceremony at Fire Station 19. Firefighters Jordan Allred, Reece Young and Mathew Hutcherson were presented with EMS awards from Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services, along with Cobb County Firefighters James Watson and Demetrius Carlyle.

On Nov. 23, Cobb County Engine 11 was covering for Cherokee County Fire Station 19, so personnel could attend the funeral of Justin and Amber Hicks. Engine 11 and Cherokee County Squad 19 were dispatched to the scene of a cardiac arrest later that day. According to EMS Chief Nate Sullivan, “They arrived to find a patient in cardiac arrest and went to work. These crews that had never worked together before performed flawlessly. Their efforts resulted in the patient regaining his pulse and actually speaking to the crew before arrival at the hospital. After the call, the Cobb County firefighters realized that the patient was a retired member of Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services.”

The patient walked out of the

From left, Lt. Jordan Allred, a cardiologist with Kennestone Hospital, the patient, along with James Watson and Demetrius Carlyle, firefighters with Cobb County.

hospital a week later, and shook the hands of his rescuers. “Our firefighters do spectacular work every day, but this event was more special and challenging than most. The opportunity to meet a cardiac arrest patient that was rescued is a once-in-a-career event. I’m grateful that the patient was able to make it to the recognition ceremony, shake the hands of his rescuers, and share his story,” Sullivan said.

A few days later, Engine 19 and Squad 19 responded to another cardiac emergency. The engine arrived a few minutes before the squad, and the crew of the engine began their assessment and recognized the extent of the patient’s emergency and the time-sensitive nature. The crew began treatment and used their cardiac monitor to obtain an EKG and transmit the EKG to the hospital, while at the patient’s side in his home. Squad 19 arrived and treated and transported the patient to the hospital. Because of the advance notice of the nature of the illness, the patient was able to bypass the emergency room and go directly to the cardiac catheterization lab. The patient spent weeks in the ICU undergoing some of the most advanced cardiac procedures in the state.

“This event was a perfect example of the entire system working together flawlessly,” Sullivan said. “This event highlights the importance of citizens calling 911 if they suspect a cardiac emergency. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services has welltrained paramedics and EMTs on every apparatus, with the equipment, medications and knowledge to make the difference between life and death.”

Deputy Chief of Operations Shane West, left, Sgt. Matthew Hutcherson, Firefighter Reece Young and Lt. Jordan Allred speak with the patient and his wife.