Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Offers Scholarships The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is offering $70,000 in scholarships to Georgia students pursuing a degree in agriculture, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences, or a related field.Visit GaFoundationAg.org/scholarships for a list of eligible majors/schools for all available scholarships, applications, and instructions to apply. All applications must be submitted online by March 1, 2023. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be submitted online with the application. Scholarship recipients will be announced in the spring.Additionally, Cherokee County Farm Bureau will award two Cheyenne Heard College Scholarships of $1,000 each to two seniors in Cherokee County who are pursuing a degree in agriculture. Each student who applies will receive a check for $50. Please email Shirley Pahl at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about these scholarships.
Cherokee’s Brantley Day Selected for National Task Force Community Development Agency Director Brantley E. Day has been appointed to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Housing Task Force, comprised of 30 county leaders from across the United States. Day is the sole representative from Georgia. The Housing Task Force will explore intergovernmental partnerships that support housing solutions among federal, state, and local officials, along with private, nonprofit, and homeownership and rental partners. Group members will also examine comprehensive solutions to address the complex conditions that undermine workforce housing availability including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, land costs, institutional investors, and government regulations. The Task Force will host in-person and virtual meetings, as well as produce original research, to examine the role of county governments in providing residents with more housing, greater variety of housing, and better housing affordability and value. Day joined Cherokee County as the Community Development director in October 2021. He has more than 20 years of municipal planning and community development management experience including with the cities of Woodstock, Holly Springs, and Riverdale, as well as the Cumberland Community Improvement District.
Cherokee County School District Announcements • Two CCSD Leaders Named Region Athletic Directors of the Year Jeremy Adams, athletic director and a Cherokee HS assistant principal, was selected as the Region 5-7A Athletic Director of the Year, and David Dyer, athletic director and a River Ridge HS assistant principal, was named Region 6-6A Athletic Director of the Year. Both are in the running for the state title in their divisions, which will be announced at the 2023 Georgia Athletic Directors Association State Conference in March. • Physical Education Teacher Wins Top State Honor In November, Amy Aenchbacher, a CCSD adaptive PE specialist, was presented with the Georgia Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (GAHPERD) Kim Thompson Honor Award. The highest honor bestowed by the Association, this award is presented when a member’s contributions have been “exemplary, sustaining, and far-reaching.” Recipients additionally must be considered by their colleagues as a positive role model and have held leadership positions in the association, presented at state conferences, and/or been published in state publications. • Cherokee HS Principal Receives Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower presented the 2022 Game Changer Award for Instructional Leadership to Cherokee HS Principal Rodney Larrotta. “When you talk about leadership, when you talk about this leader, you think passion, you think care,” Dr. Hightower said as he revealed Principal Larrotta as the winner by describing his character. “You think accountability balanced with grace. You think vision and being able to get into the weeds and work on the details. Rodney has done everything we’ve asked him to do and so much more. I’ve been amazed by the type of person he is.” • Sequoyah HS’s Performance in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade The Sequoyah HS Band of Chiefs has traveled extensively, including New York City, Washington D.C., and Orlando, Florida. On Thanksgiving, the band performed at the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, Illinois. • Clark Creek ES Teachers Named Georgia STEM Scholars Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers recognized Teresa Bailey and Kimberly Harrison, both of Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, as 2023 Don Cargill STEM Scholar Award winners. Honored educators are selected for their excellence in teaching students about science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as their innovation in integrating STEM lessons in elementary and middle school education. Each honoree receives a $500 award to purchase classroom STEM supplies • Student Wins First Place at State Career Competition Etowah HS senior Avery DiGirolamo won the top prize in the mental health education in action event at the Georgia HOSA Future Health Professionals fall leadership conference. She competed against other health care science students at the statewide conference, which offered five competitive events. DiGirolamo is a student in Etowah’s Career Pathway health care science program, which focuses on therapeutic services, sports medicine, and exercise physiology.
Cherokee County Wins Prestigious Financial Award Cherokee County is now a Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Triple Crown Winner. This designation recognizes governments who have received GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for a fiscal year. Cherokee County earned the prestigious designation for the 2020 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2019-Sept. 30, 2020).The county Finance Department provides financial reporting, advice, and performance measurement to manage Cherokee County’s financial resources while facilitating the cost-effective funding of agencies, departments, and elected officials. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Marquis said the recognition is reflective of the staff’s time, effort, and knowledge in managing county finances.
City of Canton Updates - The City of Canton collection site has extended hours and added a drop-off day exclusively for residents who are 62+. - City Council decided the following at a recent meeting. APPROVED • The Alum Pond cleaning contract • Contract for design of West Main pedestrian improvements • Alcohol ordinance amendment for Sunday pouring at private clubs • Acceptance of an Appalachian Regional Commission grant for a trail bridgeDENIED • A 296-unit apartment complex at Misty Way and Misty Court on Highway 20- Visit CantonGa.gov for more information.
Service League Raises Over $15K for Cherokee County Children The Service League of Cherokee County raised more than $15K in this year’s Fore the Children Golf Tournament. All proceeds benefit the League’s work for children in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County Unveils Georgia's First Propane-Powered Public Transit Buses Cherokee Area Transportation Service (CATS) has purchased three propane-powered buses from Coach and Equipment Bus Sales, Inc. The total cost was $307,553 with $261,420 paid for with a Federal Transportation Authority grant and $46,132 from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The new vehicles replace three aging CATS buses that provide fixed route service, which ensures that those in need of transportation can schedule a regular route for a small fee. CATS also provides a demand response service, so residents can schedule rides for things such as doctor’s appointments.“We are excited to bring in three new vehicles that use a cleaner fuel source and have expected lower maintenance costs,” said Community Services Agency Director Bryan Reynolds. “With the purchase, we were able to secure increased federal transportation support and a Federal Transit Authority fuel subsidy, saving our taxpayers money.”
Holly Springs Town Center Project Hickory Road Roundabout A focal point for the Holly Springs Town Center Project Hickory Road roundabout is the display of the United States, Georgia, and city flags, along with flags of each branch of our nation’s military services, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Space Force. “As a mayor and as a Marine veteran, I am proud to represent a community that so deeply respects and appreciates what each of the flags placed in the Hickory Road roundabout represent. The City is proud to make this small gesture to the men and women who have courageously and selflessly served our nation to protect the American flag and all that it represents,” said Mayor Steven W. Miller.
Cherokee County, Holly Springs Finalize Growth Boundary Agreement The Board of Commissioners recently approved the first growth boundary agreement between the City of Holly Springs and Cherokee County since 2006. A growth boundary agreement defines and limits future growth for a city. While not legally binding, the city agrees to limit its annexations to areas inside the boundary, and the county agrees not to oppose annexations there. With the agreement in place, annexations must still meet all state law requirements. The Holly Springs growth boundary encompasses an area around the current city limits, more or less bound by Univeter Road, Highway 140, East Cherokee Drive, Hickory Road, Toonigh Road, Marble Quarry Road, the municipal boundaries of the cities of Canton and Woodstock, and the Little River. The growth boundary agreement will be in effect until June 1, 2028, which coincides with the service delivery strategy agreement with the City of Holly Springs.
Hickory Flat Public Library Closes for Renovations The Hickory Flat Public Library, which was built in 1993, is currently closed to the public to prepare for an upcoming renovation and expansion. The library is located at 2740 East Cherokee Drive, After renovation of the 10,000 square-foot building and expansion by an additional 7,800 square feet, the Hickory Flat community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading. Construction is projected to begin in January, and expected to take one year to complete.Funding for this project was provided through Cherokee County’s SPLOST program. Additional funding includes a $2 million Capital Outlay Grant, administered by the Georgia Public Library Service. Free wi-fi will be available in the library parking lot through December 23. Library programming, such as weekly story times and upcoming holiday events, will take place at other Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS) locations. To view the library’s full programming schedule and register for events, visit CalendarWiz.com/SequoyahRegLib.“During the Hickory Flat Public Library’s construction, our community can still maintain library access by using their library card at any of our neighboring locations in the Sequoyah Regional Library System,” said Angela Cortellino, executive director of SRLS. “We encourage patrons of the Hickory Flat Public Library to visit these locations, which will continue to offer the full range of library services they have come to know and expect.” The nearest SRLS libraries to the Hickory Flat location are the R.T. Jones Memorial Library at 116 Brown Industrial Parkway in Canton and the Woodstock Public Library at 7735 Main Street. Patrons may continue to contact the library online or via social media to receive assistance and information about services and programming. Residents may visit SequoyahRegionalLibrary.org to access up-to-date information about library services, hours, and locations. A special Hickory Flat Public Library Project FAQ and webpage will be featured on the SRLS website where the community may check for updates and announcements about the renovation project.