August 25, 2008 - The City of Cornelia has issued a Voluntary Ban on all outdoor water use.

This ban affects all persons provided water by the City Of Cornelia, both inside and outside the incorporated City limits! We ask that everyone conserve as much water as possible. The State Guidelines continue to govern water usage.

Water Boil Order Issued in Mt. Airy

Mount Airy GA, - Aug 23, 2008 - There was a Water Main break in the early morning just north of the railroad bridge in Mt. Airy. Crews have fixed the break around 4:30am this morning. Mt. Airy Officials have Issued an WATER BOILING ORDER for residents that live north of the railroad bridge until Sunday Morning. Officials Noted this is only a precaution. The EPA has a Web Site for Water Boil Orders if you need more info on it, their web site is: www.epa.gov/ogwdw/faq/emerg.html

Clarkesville Imposes Total Outdoor Watering Ban

CLARKESVILLE - Another city in Habersham County imposes a total outdoor watering ban on its residents.

Just two days after Cornelia announced an end to outdoor watering, the city of Clarkesville followed suit Thursday.

"We are making an application petitioning the state of Georgia based on current weather conditions, forecast of precipitation and the demand on the water system itself," said Clarkesville City Manager Steve Hashimoto.

Hashimoto said residents should blame the weather for the ban.

"We don't have any guarantee of when it's going to rain, so we have to deal with the factors that are available to us on a daily basis," he said.

Hashimoto said the lack of rain has also brought the Soque River, Clarkesville's water source, to less than one fourth of its flow rate. He said Cornelia pulls its water supply from the Chattahoochee River

Hashimoto said there are exceptions to the ban such as licensed professional landscaping and car washes.

The City of Cornelia is at a stage 4 Water Shortage

The City of Cornelia is at a stage 4 Water Shortage. Effective immediately is a mandatory ban on all outdoor water use until further notice. This ban affects all persons provided water by the City Of Cornelia, both inside and outside the incorporated City limits! This ban is in effect until further notice!

Contract Signed for New Judicial Center and Governmental Campus

Today, the Habersham County Board of Commissioners signed a contract offering to purchase 30.82 acres for the new Habersham County Judicial Center and governmental campus. The property is located at the intersection of State Highway 17 and Hills Crossing Road. The total purchase price for this large tract is $1,189,000.

Chairman Butterworth said, “The location of this property will accommodate future growth and is consistent with the twenty year vision of the Comprehensive Plan. Accessibility to the Judicial Center will be from State Highway 17 and from Hills Crossing Road and will result in less traffic congestion for our citizens. One thing the current economic environment does is create a buyer’s market for purchases like this. We believe this is a wise, long-term decision for the taxpayers of Habersham County”

“The Board considered several alternative sites after studies showed that the original site would not accommodate growth and the location would cause significant traffic congestion. The Board feels that this site is ideally located for easy access by citizens from all areas of the county and it will accommodate all the needs of Habersham County Government for decades to come,” Butterworth concluded.

Habersham Animal Shelter will not Renew Lease with County

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners received notice on Friday, August 8th that the Friends of Habersham County Animal Shelter will not be renewing their contract with the County to manage the animal shelter in September.

"Over the past month, we have been discussing a 'reorganization' of our relationship with FOHCAS so that our citizens are well protected and our animals are well taken care of" Chairman Jim Butterworth said.

"there is an excitement between us, the County Staff and FOHCAS that this new direction will prove to benefit our community in a tremendous way. We plan to work with FOHCAS, and rescue groups around the area to ensure that our Shelter is not a 'high-kill' shelter and we provide the best possible service and education to our citizens, "Butterworth concluded.

Pedestrian Bridge is Finally up in Demorest

Piedmont College’s long-awaited and much anticipated pedestrian bridge is finally up for all to see. “It adds a physical connection between the campus and the community,” Dr. Tom Bowen with Piedmont College tells WCHM Radio. Several years ago, Piedmont College requested the bridge after seeing too much traffic come through the city of Demorest. “If you just stand here and count the cars, you’d be amazed at the number that comes through in a minute,” Bowen explains. And with hundreds of students crossing the busy street everyday… “One car running into another to keep from hitting a student that may or may not have been paying attention when they crossed the road,” College President, Dr. Ray Cleere adds. School leaders knew something had to be done...especially after one of their own..a leading librarian lost their life crossing the street. “We moved ahead with the bridge more aggressively.” Now after countless meetings to justify the need for a bridge in this small mountain community, the Department of Transportation has finally given students and local residents a safety feature they’ve all wanted. The $1.4 million Bridge only took part of one evening to install. There’s 18 feet between its floor and the road for easy clearance. An elevator tower and walkway have also been installed for easy access. But pedestrians still have to wait a little longer before they can actually use the bridge. Once the bridge is complete, this crosswalk will be removed, caution lights will be taken down, and even fencing will be placed on each side of the road to prevent pedestrians from getting in the way of traffic. “In the interim, until they pour the floor for the bridge, and the walkways, and finish the elevator tower, the crosswalk is still necessary.” Students and residents should be able to use the pedestrian bridge within the next few weeks.

A Nail Biter in the Coroner Race

Well the Runoff is Behind us, and 4 of the 5 races have no problem to who won those races except the Habersham Coroner race. Only two (2) votes separate the two candidates with Kasey C. McEntire in the lead. To see the results, please go to www.VoteHabersham.com. The site will be updates twice a day until the Secretary of State Certifies the August 5th Runoff, which will not happen until the week of the 11th.