The battlefield is only the first to benefit from the game-changing historic preservation fund, named for the legendary Georgia football coach and preservation advocate (Resaca, Ga.) — The very first grants from the new Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund have been awarded, marking a new era of historic preservation in the Peach State. The fund, named for the legendary University of Georgia football coach, historian and tireless preservation advocate, awarded two grants total

Proposed four-bed Level II NICU would help more families receive specialized care closer to home The Georgia Department of Community Health recently issued AdventHealth Gordon a Certificate of Need to establish a four-bed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit within the hospital’s existing Women’s Services Area. That decision is now subject to appeals initiated by Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center and Vitruvian Health Hamilton Medical Center and will proceed through the stat

Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) will host a Free Application Month throughout November to help those who are seeking to enroll in the spring 2027 semester. Through Nov. 30, GNTC will waive the $25 application fee for all incoming students. Applicants should enter the code NOVFREE27 (all capital letters) to waive the fee. The admissions deadline for the spring semester is Nov. 20; applications completed after that date will be eligible through March 7 to enro

The Georgia State Patrol has released their preliminary investigation findings on an I-75 crash in Gordon County that killed a Tunnel Hill man. According to the GSP, around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, a Trooper from GSP Calhoun responded to I-75 SB near mile marker 312 to investigate a two-vehicle crash with injuries. The investigation revealed that a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, driven by John Aitken, 72, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was traveling south on I-75 pulling a camper trai

On September 24, 2026, a Catoosa County jury convicted Christopher Lee McClure, pictured, for physically and sexually abusing a nine-year-old child, after a four-day trial before Superior Court Judge Chris Arnt. McClure, 42, was convicted on the eight-count indictment for crimes including: aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated assault and other charges. Evidence presented at trial showed that McClure physically ab

Members of Oothcaloga Masonic Lodge F & AM #154 including Kenneth Theobald (Worshipful Master, front row, center) at a special ceremony in late 2025. The Lodge is celebrating its 175th year in 2026. Founded in 1851, Oothcaloga Masonic Lodge F & AM #154 is a proud fraternal organization in the city of Calhoun, where Faith, Hope and Charity is the foundation of the Lodge’s zeal in working to help the community. The motto of the Lodge is “Making Good Men, Great Men.” And this y

Kathleen Pichardo is GNTC’s 2027 EAGLE Award winner. Kathleen Pichardo, of Dalton, has been chosen to represent Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) at the Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE (Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education) Leadership Institute state competition March 8-10, 2027, at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia. The Leadership Institute recognizes and honors those students who have demonstrated superior achievement in Adult Education cla

October 23, 2026 – The Georgia Department of Education has been awarded more than $10 million in federal grants to expand teacher apprenticeships statewide, in partnership with the University of West Georgia (UWG) and the National Center for Grow Your Own. The investment will strengthen efforts to recruit and prepare future educators through the Department's Teach in the Peach initiative. The grants build on Georgia's existing teacher apprenticeship work, which launched throu

BusinessRate, the online customer satisfaction platform that provides intelligent ranking solutions and comprehensive review management services helping businesses thrive data-driven insights, has released their annual “Best Of” list of winners for 2026, and All-Star Halloween, Calhoun’s year-round superstore dedicated to all things Halloween, was named Best Halloween/Costume Store of 2026 for the Southeastern United States. The store, located at 976 Highway 53 WSW in Calhoun

Hamilton’s Peeples Cancer Institute (PCI) will have its new mobile mammography coach, Mammography on the go, at the Erwin Mitchell Community Health Fair on Saturday, Oct. 24. The event – sponsored by the Latin American Association – will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center at 218 N. Frederick St. in Dalton. Mammography on the go is equipped with the GE Pristina, an advanced 3D mammography system that providesexceptional image quality, low radiat

AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology is pleased to welcome Maggie Ralston, FNP-C, a certified family nurse practitioner dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered cardiovascular care. Ralston will see patients at the organization's cardiology locations in Calhoun, Dalton and Chatsworth. Ralston is passionate about helping patients navigate complex medical conditions and develop treatment plans tailored to their individual needs. Her collaborative approach emphas

Bowls of high-calorie candy. Porches and yards full of nutritious pumpkins. No wonder bears love Halloween. Halloween is right in the middle of hyperphagia. Bears are busy packing on pre-hibernation pounds, searching for food up to 20 hours a day. Real pumpkins are a real treat for bears. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals and tasty fiber. And pumpkin seeds have 300 calories a cup! Candy is loaded with high-energy sugar and calories. Chocolate is a real killer. It contain