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Rabun County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Brian Panell is grateful that Georgia Power will install an emergency extrication system at Tallulah Gorge. “I’m very grateful to North Georgia Hydro, Georgia Power, and the Rabun County Board of Commissioners is supporting this venture to, first and foremost, looking at rescuer safety and the patient safety extricating patients from the Sliding Rock Area of the Tallulah Gorge State Park. The Search and Rescue Team responded to over 50 calls last year at Tallulah Gorge State Park and we found ourselves in the Sliding Rock Area numerous times, which is a very remote area in the southern part of the State Park. It’s very strenuous on the rescuers, who are volunteers volunteering their time to rescue these people in these different situations.” The emergency extrication system was approved at Tuesday’s, May 28, 2024, Rabun County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Looking for the best seat in the house this summer? Whether you crave adventure, fun, good food, or relaxation, head north to the North Georgia mountains for an unparalleled experience, no matter your pursuit. Would you give this a try?Looking for a new adventure this summer?Head to @ExploreRabun and spend the day battling Class 1-5 rapids on the Chattooga!See all 5 great adventures in the north Georgia mountains here: https://t.co/np8kvEc3m1 pic.twitter.com/L3vob2B0Mr Let’s begin with the best seat in the house for adventure. Dive into the exhilarating world of whitewater rafting down the Chattooga River. Southeastern Expeditions offers daily and overnight trips, navigating through class one to five rapids. Prepare for a day filled with breathtaking falls, encounters with wildlife, and thrills around every rock and turn. Ziplining above treetops? Yes please!Check out the Squealing Mare, 1,550 feet long and 210 feet off the ground!It's 1 of 5 great adventures I discovered on a visit to @ExploreRabun & the north Georgia mountains.See the other 4: https://t.co/j6n6FIsKC8 pic.twitter.com/KiGvhc2cwc

One person was killed and another was injured Friday afternoon following a single-vehicle wreck on Ga. 115 West at Half Moon Court in Habersham County. Emergency personnel were dispatched at approximately 1:05 p.m. to the scene of the accident, according to officials. An ambulance transported one of the people to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville, while the other person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lauren Payne has been named the first recipient of the Dr. Sidney Benton Endowed Mathematics Educator Scholarship. The Gillsville native recently graduated with a degree in mathematics with teacher certification from the University of North Georgia and says she knew early on that she wanted to become a math teacher.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — More than two dozen hot air balloons took flight from Helen, Georgia, on Thursday morning in a race to the Atlantic. Depending on the wind, it’s possible some of the balloons could be spotted in Western North Carolina skies. “That is a possibility,” a...

Keeping kids safe is the number one priority of parents. So, if you hire a babysitter to watch your little ones, teach them these safety tips for your home, says Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch. “This is the time of the year when the parents are working and they’ve had to get somebody to come in the house and babysit while they are at work while the kids are out of school. So, I’ve got some helpful reminders about things to talk about with your babysitter. Be sure your babysitter knows about fire safety and knows what to do if there is a fire. Everybody should have a home escape plan and you should talk to your babysitter about that home escape plan. Make sure they understand two ways out of every room, where the outdoor meeting place is located, 911 in an emergency, and how to unlock all the doors and windows. If you allow your babysitter to cook, make sure they keep the children at least three feet away from the stove and microwave, never leave the room while cooking, and keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop. Make sure that your babysitter knows if the smoke alarm sounds to get out of the home quickly with the child or children to safety, use the second way out if the smoke is in the way, and if that way is also blocked know to get low and go under the smoke to the exit if the escape must be made through the smoke. And last but not least, always leave a phone number where you can be reached and be sure the babysitter knows the address of the home. You know that is something they are unfamiliar with and if they call from a cell phone it’s not going to come up with the address, so make sure they know the address in case they have to call 911 in an emergency.” Another good idea is to make a list of emergency numbers for your babysitter in case something does happen.

The word “Walkhalla” is introduced today to a lexicon that includes Garden of the Gods. A ribbon cut on the Walhalla Greenway at the Earle House end made for a grand opening of what first-year Mayor Tim Hall sees as a new city park – to allow walkers and bike riders the kind of exercise that should pay off in good health. And while he addressed the event crowd, Mayor Hall was joined by Councilwoman Sarai Melendez in noting that much of the work to build the Greenway belongs to the immediate past Mayor Danny Edwards and the city councils during his 12 years in office. Also receiving recognition was the resident state senator, Thomas Alexander, who got behind a grant application to provide money to what’s planned as a first phase of a greenway that parallels S. Broad Street from College west for several blocks. Several kids and adults brought their bikes to the event, as well as the city police. The police used the occasion to show off a pair of spiffy, high-tech bicycles that’ll be used to patrol downtown, as well as the city’s Stumphouse Mountain Bike and Tunnel Park.

HELEN, Ga. (AP) — A profile of Andrew “Andy” Negra Jr., of Helen, Georgia, one of a dwindling number of veterans took part in the Allies’ European war effort that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. BORN: May 28, 1924, near Avella, Pennsylvania. SERVICE: Army’s...

A man who wants no publicity stepped forward to help stabilize the Habersham County Meals on Wheels program after federal and state funding dried up two months before the end of the fiscal year. The man, who said God blessed him in his career, read about the funding crisis in the local newspaper recently and wanted to get involved. He delivered a check to Habersham County Senior Center Director Kathy Holcomb last week to ensure that no local senior citizen who depends on the program has to go without a meal before the new funding cycle begins July 1. “My passion and my heart is with the seniors here at the senior center,” Holcomb said. “I look out at every avenue that I possibly can to try to find ways – resources, networks – that will benefit them in some way. This year as we came through, our funding came up short. We’re out of our subsidy funds.” Holcomb said additional funding allotted by higher government following Hurricane Irma, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021 bolstered the growing program in recent years, but now that funding is exhausted and has left in its wake a challenge of how to keep up with expenses now that federal funding is exhausted. “There’s just not enough to meet the demand that’s out there,” Holcomb said. “At this point in time, we’re like two months away from our new budget starting and we’re out of funds for feeding our senior citizens. So, I felt like as a steward of the program, I had to step up and reach out to the community to ask for additional assistance.” Holcomb said Habersham County heavily funds the senior center and its programs but had not budgeted for a shortfall in federal dollars in the meals program and she does not want to see another program not have its needs met. “The county definitely subsidizes me,” Holcomb said. “They are our backbone, but [to offset the federal shortfall] they’re taking away from another avenue that needs money – maybe a different department. I felt like it was my job to step up and try to ask for help, to be that connector until we reach our budget time in July.” It is important to note that the Habersham County Senior Center also receives grant funding support from the Habersham County United Way. Holcomb described how the humble donor approached her. “I had a gentleman that just moved here from another state walk in the door and surprised me to help me meet my goal,” Holcomb said. “I was grateful that someone walked in the door and said, ‘Let me help you. What can I do for you?’ It just pleased me so well and I couldn’t wait to tell my people and my clients, and I’m just grateful for that. You don’t get that every day.” The impact of his donations, along with other smaller but important donations that followed Holcomb’s appeal to the community, cannot be understated, she said. “It means that we’re going to continue to provide for those seniors,” Holcomb said. “We have about 160 homebound clients, and then we have over 300 clients here at the senior center. And we’re going to continue their programs every day, we’re going to provide for them their meals, and we’re going to make sure that their needs are met, both meal-wise and transportation-wise. We’re here for them.” And if other people want to donate to the senior center’s programs, whether Meals on Wheels, Bingo prizes, or for special events, checks may be made payable to the Habersham County Senior Center, 217 Scoggins Drive, Demorest, GA 30535. “We’re still out here,” Holcomb said. “We still have information out and if anyone still wants to take care of us, we’re here. We still could use funding.” To learn more about the programs offered by the Senior Center to those age 60 and up, call (706) 839-0260 or visit habershamga.com/seniorcenter.cfm and click on the Activities sidebar.

The Swap Shop airs Monday-Friday from 8:30 am until 9:00 am on 93.1 FM and AM 630 WNEG. Our phone lines are open from 8:30 am until 9:00 am. The number to call is 706-886-1551. Fax items to 706-282-0189. Mail to Swap Shop, P.O. Box 1159, Toccoa, GA 30577. Please...

The Rabun County Board of Commissioners reports a job opening in the Probation Office for Marshall’s Office. $41,483 Annually & Great Benefits. Apply today in the Board of Commissioners Office or email [email protected]. Requirements – 2 years of college = 90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours (Associates Degree) or 4 years of Law Enforcement experience as a certified officer.

Rev. Tony Kemp, age 75 of Clarkesville, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Monday, May 27, 2024. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced later. An online guest registry is available for the Kemp family at www.HillsideMemorialChapel.com. Arrangements are in the care &...

The storms aren't over yet for north Georgia. Another wave of severe weather could pop up with heavy rain and winds through the afternoon and into the night.

UPDATE: (11:17pm) – In the Georgia 511 alert regarding the road closure on Highway 17 Alternate/Falls Road, it is estimated that the road will be back open on June 3. Georgia 511 is managed by Georgia DOT, so the information is legitimate… However, I have noticed that they are not always accurate: sometimes closures are cleared earlier, sometimes they are cleared later… But that does give us an idea what they are initially expecting and their best estimate on an opening time.

Memorial Day services taking place today in Franklin, Hart Counties:. In Hart County, the American Legion Post 109 will have a Memorial Day service on Monday, May 27th at 11 a.m. in the Veterans Memorial Park at the Hartwell Courthouse Square. Everyone is invited to this service to show remembrance for our fallen heroes.

Moments ago, Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley advised WNEG News that, following the manhunt reported earlier by WNEG News, fugitive Joel Keller was taken into custody at approximately 10:15 a.m. More details will follow.