Towns County Herald Legal Organ of Towns County www.townscountyherald.net Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1928 50 Cents Publication Number 635540 Volume 87 Number 48 Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Fall Festival starts Friday at the Fairgrounds By Lily Avery and nightly live musical acts in day that’s going to bring 31 Towns County Herald the Anderson Music Hall. people. Staff Writer “We have a lot of bus “We have a lot of buses Autumn has finally tours that have booked to come coming and a lot of children announced itself with changing here this year,” said Thomason. coming for school field trips. leaves and the onset of cooler “Just on opening day, we have So, a lot of people are going weather, and there is no better two buses with 100 people to be coming out for the way to celebrate than with a coming from Springfield, festival.” festival. Florida. They’re going to ride Along with the The Georgia Mountain the train in Blue Ridge then extraordinary lineup of musical Fairgrounds is hosting its coming to the Fairgrounds to acts, the usual bevy of crafters annual Fall Festival, beginning attend our opening night act, and artists will be setting up on Friday, Oct. 7, and running the Mickey Gilley concert. shop around the Fairgrounds, through Saturday, Oct. 15. “Then on Oct. 11 we along with the Pioneer Village, Fairgrounds General have another bus tour coming full of old Appalachian living Manager Hilda Thomason is out of South Carolina that is demonstrations. pulling out all the stops for coming to the TG Sheppard “There are going to be Concert. And there’s even this year’s festivities, to feature The 2016 Fall Festival promises to live up to festivals of years gone by, with plenty of music, another one coming that same See Fall Festival, Page 6A plenty of daily entertainment authentic Mountain Arts & Crafts, and the festival’s newest edition – helicopter rides. Fire department saves another home Homecoming night special By Shawn Jarrard Towns County Herald for Queen, King, everybody Staff Writer By Shawn Jarrard Towns County Fire Towns County Herald Chief Harold Copeland loves Staff Writer fighting fires – especially if he can save a home in the Towns County High process. School sure knows how to put Which is exactly what on a Homecoming – from the happened earlier in September, pre-game to the post-game, after a Young Harris couple everyone had a good time noticed their home was on fire Friday night. when their cats started acting During the halftime funny. coronation of new Towns Shortly thereafter, one County royalty, senior Kristen of the residents spotted smoke Henson was crowned the out the window, and they soon 2016 Football Homecoming started to smell the smoke Queen, and by none other than from inside the house. 2015 Football Homecoming And where there’s Queen Taylor Underwood, smoke, there’s fire. who returned to bestow the “The call came in at No one was hurt and this home was saved as a result of the honors. 7:45 in the morning,” said total knockdown efforts of Towns County Fire & Rescue in The Indian Raider Band Chief Copeland. “Engine early September. played “Can You Feel the 2, Engine 1 and Tanker 1 that the fire was an accident, and Love Tonight,” as the girls of deploying lines, the fire was responded. Crews made a fortunately no one was hurt, the Homecoming Court made out. Damage was contained to swift knockdown.” human, animal or otherwise. their way down the field under the basement, where the fire When Chief Copeland “The crews did a escort of a special loved one. says a swift knockdown, he occurred. From the TCHS 2016 Football Homecoming Court, classmates Investigators determined Henson certainly felt the chose Kristen Henson as their Queen, Walker Ross as their means it. Within a minute of See Fire, Page 6A love of her family that night, King and Madison Stroud as their Princess. Photo/Lowell See 6A Nicholson Homecoming, Page Towns students compete in regional Business showcase doubles in size By Lily Avery speech contest at UC Farmers Market Towns County Herald Staff Writer The Towns County Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual Business Showcase on Friday, Sept. 30, filling the Towns County Recreation and Conference Center with 103 vendors who were there to promote their businesses. More than 700 area residents flocked to Foster Park last Friday to see the best of what the North Georgia region has to offer. The event featured vendors, both chamber members and non-members, from Union and Towns counties, and served The Towns County Recreation and Conference Center played Contestants of the inaugural Union County Farmers Market Speech Contest were: Andrew as an opportunity for businesses Collins, Emma Kate Ledford, Haley Zuber and Caitlyn Murphy. Photo/Lily Avery to hold raffles, give out samples host to the Second Annual Business Showcase, sponsored by the Towns County Chamber of Commerce. Photo/Lily Avery of their product or simply hand By Lily Avery Union and neighboring Towns out flyers in order to network President Candace Lee. “We’ve Towns County Herald County. While the market hosted across the area. doubled in size since last year. we were only in one. Staff Writer High school students the competition, a lot of area “I think this is important organizations pitched in to “We plan to have this This year, we’ve had to spread BLAIRSVILLE – from Union, Towns, Fannin, every year,” said Chamber out into two gyms, and last year because a lot of times residents and Rabun Counties were make the idea come to fruition, See Showcase, Page 6A Public speaking was the name with the Blue Ridge Mountain of the game at the Union invited to participate in the market’s first public speaking Soil and Water Conservation County Farmers Market on District leading the charge. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Saturday, Oct. 1, as the market contest, held in the Market played host to students from Pavilion. celebrates 50 years in Hiawassee See Speech, Page 6A By Lily Avery disappoint, going full steam Towns County Herald ahead, performing one crowd Board of elections to hold Staff Writer favorite after the other. Tunes such as “Buy For Me The Rain,” Fans got down to the Nitty “Workin’ Man” and their beloved residency hearings Thursday Gritty with the Classic Country cover of Jerry Jeff Walker’s song, By Shawn Jarrard Folk Rock band, Nitty Gritty Dirt “Mr. Bojangles,” had everyone Towns County Herald Band, at the Anderson Music Hall tapping their feet and singing Staff Writer on Saturday, Oct. 1. along with the band that makes A couple of special Having recently celebrated 50 years of great music seem like their 50th year in the limelight, called meetings of the Towns a blink of the eye. County Board of Elections and the fun-loving band played a wide Opening for the Dirt Band variety of their songs during the Registration has resulted in an that evening was not one but afternoon of hearings for eight show, wowing the audience with two acts – Georgia native and high-tempo instrumentals and individuals registered to vote Country Music artist Joe Hall within the City of Hiawassee. longtime fan favorites alike. and High Ridge Band. Hall was The Dirt Band started off The hearings – which recently signed with William will determine whether or the concert with a bang, jumping Morris Endeavor Entertainment right into their hit song, “You not the individuals remain Jeff Hanna, lead singer and and will begin touring with Joe Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” bringing Nichols at the end of the month. Hiawassee voters – will be everyone to their feet as the band guitar player for Nitty Gritty held on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 4 The Towns County Board of Elections and Registration met for Dirt Band, kept the audience “I was just blown away that took the stage under a dazzling we were getting to open for these p.m. at the office of the Towns a special called meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, to decide what to entertained with verbal jests purple and blue light show. guys,” said Hall. “My dad grew up County Board of Elections in do about issues of residence for a handful of Hiawassee voters “I just want to take the between classic Dirt Band hits listening to these guys and then I the Old Rock Jail. ahead of the Nov. 8 Municipal Election. opportunity to say this,” said Jeff on Saturday, Oct. 1. Photo/ grew up listening to them. These eight people Hanna, Dirt Band lead singer. Lily Avery “I started playing guitar share two important things residents. “habitation is fixed,” meaning “Doing this for 50 years, it’s when I was about 13 and started in common: one, they own This second item is that in order to register to vote “I want to thank anybody not lost on us how lucky we are playing open mics and writing. businesses within Hiawassee important because, according within a specific city or county, out there who ever bought a Nitty to be able to play music. It’s so Then, I met with some people City Limits, and two, the board to Georgia election law, a a person must live within that much better when people actually Gritty Dirt Band record.” of elections has determined person’s residence is held city or county. The Dirt Band did not See Band, Page 6A show up. that they are not Hiawassee to be the place where their See Elections, Page 6A Inside Retirement 2 Sections 20 Pages Arrests 2A Lake Levels Chamber 8A PARTY Football Blue Ridge 1,672.00 Church 4B for Towns County Eastern Star Chatuge 1,918.33 Classifieds 8B Red Cross JV Nottely 1,763.72 Opinion 4A Commissioner Pecan Baked Thurs.