Local News

Fire Training Center to Get Addition

A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for an addition to the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Training Center, on Holly Springs Parkway in Holly Springs. The completion of construction is anticipated by early January 2022.

The addition is a 3,190-square-foot single story expansion that will house new offices, classroom areas, storage and support spaces. The new large classroom area includes an operable partition system, which will allow it to be divided into two smaller classrooms.

The pre-engineered metal building will feature interior walls of gypsum board and metal stud framing. The exterior will be a mixture of preengineered metal building panels and brick veneer, to match the existing facade.

The site work will include some demolition of existing parking, but will add new parking space and drives to connect the north and south entrances. New concrete stairs will be constructed between the upper and lower buildings, to better facilitate travel throughout the entire campus.

The mobile classroom is a STEM-based educational opportunity for students to explore agriculture.

Mobile Classroom Visits Cherokee County

Students enjoying summer vacation were able to spend a day visiting a mobile classroom, sponsored by the Sequoyah Regional System, Georgia Public Library Service, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and the Cherokee County Farm Bureau.

The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation sends out the mobile classroom, which houses a unique STEM-based education program, for students across Georgia to explore the vast opportunities in agriculture.

At R.T. Jones Library, 45 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders enjoyed eight interactive stations, where they learned about poultry, peanuts, beef and dairy, cotton production, horticulture and careers in agriculture.

The children also learned about planting, and potted a mint plant to take home. They took a storybook walk and made a caterpillar, played games to earn prizes and watched educational videos about science.

Lunch was provided by the Cherokee County Farm Bureau and Family Tradition restaurant.

Distinguished First Responder of the Year

Isaiah Johnson, a paramedic with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services, has been named the Distinguished First Responder of the Year by Northside Cherokee Hospital

The award was presented during National EMS Week, which honors the contributions of those who work on the medical front line. A plaque in his honor will be placed in the EMS lounge at the hospital.

Isaiah Johnson’s nieces, Anna and Nariah, and his father, Frank, attended the ceremony with Johnson and Sara Putzer, manager of emergency services at Northside Cherokee Hospital, Jonathan Gottfried and EMS Chief Nate Sullivan.

Patriot Day Recording Wins Telly Award

Cherokee County is among the 2021 winners of the Telly Awards, an international award honoring video and television across all screens.

Established in 1979, the Telly Awards receives more than 12,000 entries from 50 states and five continents. Entrants are judged by the Telly Awards Judging Council — an industry body of more than 200 leading experts, including advertising agencies, production companies and major television networks, reflective of the multiscreen industry the awards celebrate.

Cherokee County won a Silver Telly in the nonroadcast government relations category for its production of the annual Patriot Day Ceremony. Communications Director Erika Neldner and Cherokee Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jay Baker spearheaded the video project for the county and partnered with J. Clarke Productions owner Justin Webb.

“When we began planning the 9/11 ceremony in 2020, we knew it would look different. We wanted to be able to commemorate the day in a way that would welcome everyone in a safe manner,” Neldner said. “That’s when the committee, led by Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Robinson, opted to make the experience virtual, and share it across social media platforms and YouTube.”

The ceremony was prerecorded and broadcast on the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office YouTube page, as well as Facebook pages for Cherokee fire, the sheriff’s office and the county. On Facebook alone, the video reached nearly 60,000 people.

Cherokee Chamber Names Top 10 in 10

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2021 group of Cherokee County’s Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch.

The Top 10 in 10 initiative focuses on Cherokee County residents under age 40 who are considered to be the county’s up and coming leaders over the next 10 years. Judging criteria included past professional achievements and awards, five- to 10-year professional goals, as well as volunteer and community activities. The honorees, who will be under the age of 40 on Oct. 1, have been nominated for Georgia Trend magazine’s 40 Under 40 recognition.

The honorees are, front row, from left: Jeremy Adams, assistant principal and athletic director, Cherokee High School/Cherokee County School District (CCSD); Anna Teal, owner, Teal Marketing; Lindsay Bowley, coordinator of recruitment, CCSD; Elizabeth Lanier Evans, clinical nurse manager, Northside Hospital Cherokee; Robert Capovilla, founding partner, Capovilla and Williams. Back row, from left: Angela Glowcheski, deputy director, Sequoyah Regional Library System; Brian Albrecht, president and CEO, Credit Union of Georgia; Christopher Brazelton, executive director, Elm Street Cultural Arts Village; Coty Thigpen, assistant city manager, Woodstock; and Savannah Holcomb, school library media specialist, River Ridge High School/CCSD.

An Evening With Tim Tebow

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Cherokee is hosting An Evening With Tim Tebow at 7 p.m. July 9 at First Baptist Church Woodstock. Individual tickets are available for $10 and proceeds fund the nonprofit’s yearlong activities.

“Our goal is to encourage every athlete and coach to enter into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and his church, and nobody embodies that message as well as Tim Tebow,” said Steve Hyland, FCA Cherokee area director. “This event is a way to welcome the entire Atlanta community to listen to Tim share his testimony, while also helping underwrite the cost of the numerous activities FCA Cherokee hosts in support of all that we serve.”

Tebow is a two-time NCAA national champion, Heisman trophy winner and first-round NFL draft pick. Recently, he signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars to continue pursuing his dream of playing in the NFL.

Also part of the event will be former Georgia Bulldog All-American linebacker Rennie Curran, who competed against Tebow in college, and Kayla Lewis Norman, who played basketball at the University of Florida and was named Georgia’s Gatorade Women High School Player of the Year in 2010.

For more information, and to make a donation, visit www.cherokeefca.org.

Adopt a Mile Program Gains Traction

Keep Cherokee Beautiful has begun a new program, Adopt-aMile, that encourages residents and businesses to show community pride by keeping the roadsides free of trash and debris.

Cherokee County District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter recently introduced the program at a commission meeting as the first initiative for Keep Cherokee Beautiful.

Tom and Ann Earley of the North Georgia Pickleball Club adopted the first road in the program, Water Tank Road. The Earleys collected eight bags of trash, weighing approximately 160 pounds during a roadside cleanup in April.

Residents interested in adopting a mile need to identify a section of county road they want to adopt, sign an agreement committing to maintain the section for 12 months, and host a minimum of four roadside cleanups.

Waste Management has invested in the beautification of Cherokee County by donating $23,907.76 to the Keep Cherokee Beautiful program. For more information, visit the Keep Cherokee Beautiful page at www.cherokeega.com, or email cleancherokee@gmail.com.

Members of the North Georgia Pickleball Club are prepared to go on a clean-up mission.

Waste Management presented a check at a recent county commission meeting. From left, Cherokee County Community Services Agency Director Bryan Reynolds, Cherokee County District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter, Keep Cherokee Beautiful Board President Mark Preetorius, Waste Management community relations specialist Marla Prince and Keep Cherokee Beautiful board member Andrew Richard. Woodstock Elementary teachers and students involved in the plant stand are, from left: fifth-grader Zoey Boehmer, third-grade teacher Suzy Boehmer, art teacher Maria Londoño, third-grader Kaylee Wolfe and third-grade teacher Melissa Wolfe.

Take a Plant, Leave a Plant

A plant exchange stand has been set up at the Noonday Creek Trailhead in downtown Woodstock, beside the Event Green on Market Street. Woodstock Elementary students worked with OM Grown Art to paint and plan the stand, which is fully stocked and operates as a self-monitored station, where local residents can take a plant or leave one for someone else to enjoy.

Retiring County Manager Honored

Cherokee County Manager Jerry Cooper was presented the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia’s Jerry R. Griffin Excellence in Public Service Award at his retirement ceremony in May.

“It was an honor to receive the Jerry R. Griffin Excellence in Public Service Award,” Cooper said. “I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work with outstanding chairmen and commissioners, agency directors, employees and community leaders, who for 20 years have made Cherokee County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The award recognizes an individual who has worked toward achieving a lasting positive impact on his or her community. Cooper served as Cherokee County manager for 20 years. Prior to his time with the county government, he served as the city manager for Woodstock.

“Jerry has clearly been the best county manager in Georgia,” said Commission Chairman Harry Johnston. “Over the past 20 years, he’s done more than anyone else to make and keep Cherokee the state’s best value for residents and taxpayers. He’s been the common thread throughout that period to build excellent county infrastructure and services, while keeping tax rates among the lowest. And, he’s been an exceptional county leader beyond his role as county manager, leading and raising funds for more civic and charitable organizations than anyone else I know.”