CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 during a called meeting Tuesday to advertise a millage rate increase to 9.998 mils to support the Fy 2017 budget. Public hearings are scheduled for Aug. 1st and Aug. 4th at 8 a.m. and Aug. 8th at 6 p.m. The advertised rate represents an […]
Read More »3 More Arrested in Fatal Shooting in White County
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Three more alleged gang members were arrested Monday in connection with the July 1 shooting death of 21-year-old Savon Smith of Cleveland. Christopher Courville,17, of Cleveland was arrested last week and charged with murder. Since then charges of theft by receiving, making false statements and violation of the Georgia Gang Statute have […]
Read More »Helen Celebrates Milestone in Tourism
HELEN — The City of Helen celebrated a major milestone at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting. City Manager Jerry Elkins proudly reported that the city that relies heavily on its tourism industry topped the $1 million mark in hotel/motel collections for the first time ever. “Our fiscal year ends June 30 and at the end of […]
Read More »Police Chief John Foster Says Apartments are a Hub for Drug Deals
CLEVELAND — The dilapidated Blue Ridge Apartments in Cleveland are not just an eye sore, they have become a “hot spot” for drug activity and earlier this month a gang member was arrested there. Police Chief John Foster said Wednesday he told the owner to clean up and renovate the apartments or he will shut […]
Read More »Qualifying for Board of Education Begins July 25
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. — Qualifying for the Nov. 8th special election to fill a vacancy on the White County Board of Education will begin one week from today. The vacancy was created when Roger Fitzpatrick withdrew to run against 7th District Congressman Doug Collins. The winner will serve the remainder of the unexpired term that […]
Read More »Community Meeting Aimed at Avoiding Police, Civilian Conflict
CLEVELAND, Ga. — For two hours Sunday afternoon, blacks, whites, men, women, young, old civilians and law enforcement officers gathered in a tiny wooden chapel near the heart of Cleveland for a community meeting. The goal: Prevent the kind of conflict between police and civilians that have taken place in cities like Dallas, Baton Rouge, […]
Read More »Cleveland Pastor Calls Forum to Avoid Civil Unrest That Has Plagued Other Communities
CLEVELAND Ga. — Like many Americans, Travis Gaston, pastor of Travis Chapel United Methodist Church in Cleveland, is troubled by the racial unrest in this country and the recent killings in Dallas, Baton Rouge and Minnesota. So, he’s called for a community forum Sunday at 3 p.m at the little chapel at 387 Hood Street. […]
Read More »School System to Vote on FY ’17 Budget Thursday
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Despite losing about $1.2 million in revenue as a result of the senior tax exemption White County School Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Wilson said after Tuesday’s meeting the FY 2017 spending plan would generate enough revenue to cover expenditures. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that balancing the budget […]
Read More »Teen Charged With Murder in Shooting Death
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Seventeen-year-old Christopher Courville was arrested Friday and charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Savon A. Williams of Cleveland. Deputies from the White County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 9-1-1 call that was first reported as a suicide at 50 Eagle Ridge Trail in the small but affluent Eagles […]
Read More »Commissioners Pass $16.3 Million FY17 Budget
CLEVELAND, Ga. — In a marathon three-hour meeting Thursday, the White County Board of Commissioners adopted a $16.3 million FY’17 budget. The balanced budget calls for $16,299,730 in both revenue and expenditures and for maintaining a fund balance of 2.8 months or $3,404,837. Generally, the Board tries to maintain a three-month reserve. Special Revenue totals $4,191,724 […]
Read More »No Motive Yet in Fatal Shooting
CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County Sheriff Neal Walden said Tuesday that no motive is apparent yet in the shooting death Friday of 21-year old Savon Smith of Cleveland. Christopher Courville, 17, of Michigan was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. “Courville’s first appearance was held Saturday in White County Magistrate Court,” Walden said. […]
Read More »Man Killed in Crash Near Sautee Thursday
SAUTEE, Ga. — The passenger in a pickup truck was killed and the driver was injured and faces possible driving under the influence charges following a single-vehicle accident just north of Cleveland late last night. Christian Culp, 24, died when the 1999 Chevrolet pickup truck he was a passenger in went off Joe Black Road […]
Read More »Commissioners Hold First Public Hearing on FY 2017 Budget
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners held the first public hearing on a FY 2017 proposed General Fund budget of $16,161,230 Thursday morning. The next public hearing is set for June 30. The budget is about $127,000 higher than last year’s mid-year amended budget request of $16,034,021. About 49.2 percent of the […]
Read More »City Council Approves Audit Firm
HELEN — The City of Helen unanimously approved Walker, Pierce and Tuck Certified Public Accountants to audit the county’s finances for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016 at a cost of $17,250 during yesterday’s city council meeting. Council also denied a zoning variance request by Councilwoman Cinnamon Spurlock and her husband to use a […]
Read More »GDOT Abruptly Closes Ga. 75 in Helen
HELEN — The Georgia Department of Transportation abruptly closed Ga. 75 in Helen from Hamby Street north to Ga. 356 in Robertstown yesterday from 8 p.m. until this morning around 3 a.m. due to damage to the roads caused by washout from natural springs in the area. Public Works Director Ross Hewell said the highway […]
Read More »Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt: “It Could Have Been a Lot Worse”
CLEVELAND, Ga. — “We had some property damage, but fortunately nobody was injured,” Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt said after a severe thunderstorm accompanied by multiple lightning strikes and hail blitzed downtown Cleveland Monday afternoon. Some power outages were reported as trees fell across power lines and roadways during the 45-minute storm. A tree fell […]
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