News

Union County spared the worst of ‘major ice storm’

If predicting the weather were an exact science, grocery and appliance stores around the area would have lost a lot of sales over the weekend, as Union County experienced a best-case scenario for the major ice storm forecast. The National Weather Service had predicted upward of half an inch of ice…

January Term 2026 Grand Jury Indictments

NO BYLINE The following individuals were indicted during the January Term 2026 of the Union County Grand Jury, which met last week: Alfredo Cailao Ginaga, two counts obstruction of an officer. Travis Ray Cantrell, possession of methamphetamine.

Collins corrects salary, will return overpayment

Union County Sole Commissioner Harold Collins announced last week that he was paid too much his first year in office, noting that he has corrected the issue for Fiscal Year 2026 and beyond. The correction lowers his salary by close to $18,000 versus 2025.

GA 515 project on track for completion in 2027

The corridor of Georgia 515 between Blairsville and Young Harris has seen big changes over the last year, with dramatic alterations to the roadside topography as the highway reconstruction project takes shape. And Georgia Department of Transportation District 1 Communications Officer Nathan…

Local man arrested after ‘Predator Poachers’ visit

This month, internet-based content creators who raise awareness about child sex crimes kickstarted a local investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office that resulted in the arrest of a Blairsville man for possessing child sexual abuse material, aka “child pornography.” Joshua Bowers, 35, was…

Public sewer ‘loophole’ prompts county moratorium

In a called meeting on Thursday, Jan. 15, Union County Sole Commissioner Harold Collins adopted a resolution enacting an emergency moratorium “on applications for the development of any property on public sewer for the purpose of ordinance review and revisions.” Effective Jan.

City Council conducts first-of-year business

For its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Blairsville City Council conducted the organizational business of swearing in recently elected officials and naming liaisons to the city’s various departments and areas of interest.

Two Towns County deputies arrested in separate incidents

HIAWASSEE – The past 12 months have been rough for personnel at the Towns County Sheriff’s Office, but Interim Sheriff Anthony Coleman wants people to know that he is working hard to “rebuild” the agency. Since the January 2025 arrest of former deputy Austin Bradburn on charges that he fabricated…

New venture takes big step at Blairsville Airport

Appalachian Mountain Aviation LLC has achieved an important milestone toward bringing flight training, aircraft maintenance and restorations, and aircraft rentals to the Blairsville Municipal Airport, to serve as a one-stop shop that will be a boon to the local economy. In their first meeting of…

Scroll to Top