Publisher's Blog

After falling to single digit territory in October, Jackson County’s unemployment rate jumped nearly a full point in November, back above 10 percent. It left Jackson as having one of the highest rates in Northeast Georgia.
For November, Jackson’s rate hit 10.6 percent, far above October’s 9.8 percent rate and almost as much as November 2009 which was 10.8 percent.
The state rate for November was 10.3 percent.
According to the state’s numbers, some 2,848 people were unemployed in Jackson County in November.

The former girls softball coach at Jackson County Comprehensive High School is reportedly under investigation for having a possible “inappropriate” relationship with a student.

The coach, who was also a teacher at West Jackson Middle School, resigned Dec. 3.

Officials close to the situation confirmed to Mainstreet Newspapers that a criminal investigation had been undertaken in the matter. No charges have been filed.

School officials would only confirm that the softball coaching position was currently open.

Jefferson city manager John Ward has been named one of the three finalists for a job in Augusta.

Ward is one of three candidates to be interviewed for the deputy administrator position, according to an Augusta newspaper.

The other top candidates are Doug Smith, assistant city manger at Delray Beach, Fla., and William Shanahan, St. Mary’s city manager. The city reportedly received 155 applications for the position.

Attorneys Jeffrey Perry and Nicholas Primm received a recommendation by the Judicial Nominating Commission Wednesday for Gov. Sonny Perdue to consider as Jackson County's new State Court Judge.

Perry is with The Perry Law Firm, P.C. and Primm is with Bradford & Primm, LLC.

The governor is to name a replacement for the late Judge Jerry Gray, who died this fall of medical complications.

The recommendation narrowed the list from four to two. Pendergrass city court judge Scott Tolbert and attorney Donna Sikes also applied for the position.

The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce raised more than $2,000 last Wednesday morning to help fund a Dec. 23 Christmas dinner for down-and-out Jackson County residents.

Kurt Kilgore of Rockabilly Auction, Commerce, helped attendees get into the spending spirit as he auctioned off items donated by chamber members at the group’s December breakfast meeting.

This will mark the second Christmas dinner, said Shane Short, chamber president, who noted that the dinner is not a chamber project, but rather an effort started last year by five individual.

“We understood that a lot of people had lost jobs last year and a lot of people were going through the food bank,” Short recalled. “That kind of started the conversation.”

The other founding members included Roy Stowe, Kathy Wilbanks, Ruth Joiner and Michael Helms. As word got out, other people got involved. This year some 35-40 volunteers will make the Christmas dinner happen

“Last year we fed 200 people at Jackson County Comprehensive High School,” he told the audience. “We hope to serve 500 this year.”

The sit-down dinner will feature restaurant-style service, said Short. Guests will be met at the door by a host, taken to a well-decorated table and seated, their beverage orders will be taken, food will be brought to the table, followed by dessert.

The Christmas season will officially arrive in Jackson County this weekend with several holiday events planned to celebrate this special time of year.

JEFFERSON
In Jefferson, “Downtown in December” will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3. The event will include musicians performing, free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits and pictures with Santa Claus at the Pendergrass Store and a short Christmas variety show by the Curry Creek Players at Gingham Gal Café. Amy Bullock will perform Christmas songs at Downtown Gifts and Interiors. Downtown businesses will be open during the festivities.
The annual Jefferson Christmas Parade will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, in downtown. This year’s theme is “Christmas in Our Town.”
For more information on the Jefferson events, call the Main Street Jefferson office at 706-367-5714 or e-mail Beth Laughinghouse at blaughinghouse@cityofjeffersonga.com.

ARCADE
The City of Arcade will hold a Christmas tree lighting Friday evening, following the annual employee potluck Christmas dinner at 6:30 p.m.

NICHOLSON
In Nicholson, the annual Christmas tree trimming party will be held at noon on Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Harold Swindle Public Library, Nicholson. Children of all ages are invited to attend for fun treats, crafts and Christmas cheer and to ring in the holiday season by decorating the library tree. The library is located off Highway 441 near Benton Elementary School. [Full Story »]