Following a brief ceremony on Friday, April 10, resident Evelyn Gausepohl officially graduated from Enotah Family Treatment Court inside the Union County Courthouse, where she received proud smiles from Judge Wil Maxwell and applause from family, friends and colleagues. As she was called to the courtroom podium for the last time, Gausepohl was invited to…
Community turns out for ‘Mending Elsie’s Heart 5K’
HAYESVILLE, N.C. – Already, Elsie West’s story has brought multiple communities together to rally behind her – and she’s less than 2 months old. Elsie’s story has gained traction not just in her hometown of Hiawassee, but around the world. That rallying support manifested most recently with the “Mending Elsie’s Heart 5K” at Chatuge Dam…
PEACH Tax Credit a big success for local students
Since making the PEACH Education Tax Credit available to the public last August, the Union County College & Career Academy has already experienced tremendous success, collecting roughly half of its two-year participation cap in the program’s first few months. That’s because individuals and businesses in the community have been eager to benefit the children of…
New Surgery Center a ‘crown jewel’ for hospital
On Wednesday, April 1, Union General Hospital welcomed the public to an Open House showcasing its new and renovated Operating Room Suites. The occasion was one of true celebration, complete with heartfelt comments by grateful Surgical Team members and Health System leadership, community tours of the expanded Surgery Center, and refreshments for attendees. Read more…
Grant helps UCSO combat speeding, distracted driving
The Union County Sheriff’s Office is always looking for opportunities to make the community safer, and one of the most effective ways to do that is traffic enforcement. Speeding and distracted driving have more in common than simply being against the law; both also maim and kill, and Sheriff Shawn Dyer is serious about ensuring…
United Community hosts Easter fun for children
NO BYLINE – UCB Blairsville Easter26 Front: United Community Bank of Blairsville wished the community “Happy Easter!” on Friday, April 3. For especially small young ones like Nora Cobb, the whole family, including parents Macy and Tucker, got involved in the memory making. Read more…
Vietnam Veterans Day event offers vets a ‘Welcome Home’
In observance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day on Sunday, March 29, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7807 in Hiawassee hosted a Vietnam Veterans Day Ceremony and celebration for the local veterans of Union, Towns and Clay Counties. Butch Underwood is credited as the “mastermind” behind the idea, with Mel Halfon and Jim Yohe…
‘Rockpile’ installation brings unique memorial to Blairsville
Most Americans know of the Vietnam War, but few have heard of the Rockpile, aka Elliott Combat Base, or Núi Một in Vietnamese. Located about 10 miles south of the former demilitarized zone in Vietnam, its seclusion and difficult terrain made it a strategic point of interest. The nearly 790-foot summit with sheer cliff faces…
Banff marks second year of success in Blairsville
The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour celebrates all things outdoors, and March 28 heralded its second year coming to the Union County Schools Fine Arts Center. As the name suggests, the World Tour is an extension of the nine-day premier event in Banff, Canada, that takes place every November. Read more…
Rec sports, dog parks & data centers make meeting
Union County Sole Commissioner Harold Collins worked from a packed agenda in his monthly meeting March 24, tackling a host of business items ranging from annual Senior Center funding to Community Center changes amid discussions about dog parks and data centers. But he started things off by recognizing three outstanding Union County Recreation Basketball Teams,…