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By: Kayla Robins
FORSYTH COUNTY — A Forsyth County man was sentenced to 15 years in jail after pleading guilty to stabbing a longtime friend in 2013. Tommy Albert Samples, now 36, negotiated a guilty plea for criminal attempt to commit murder and aggravated assault, for which he will serve 10 years in prison and, upon cooperation, will serve the remaining five years on probation. Samples was arrested on Aug. 16, 2013, after he stabbed Marshall Tallant, who was 58 at the time, several times in the stomach over what was thought to be a drug-related argument at Tallant’s Church Road home. That fact that Samples stabbed Tallant repeatedly led to the criminal attempt to commit murder indictment, as “acts which constitute a substantial step toward the commission of said crime,” according to records provided by the Forsyth County Clerk of Courts office. The use of a knife, “an object which when used offensively against a person is likely to result in serious bodily injury and did result in serious bodily injury by stabbing,” was cause for the aggravated assault indictment. Samples was initially charged with aggravated battery, but that charge was dropped by the Grand Jury upon indictment on Oct. 14, 2013. Samples faced a maximum of 50 years, with no mandatory minimum sentence or parole restriction, for his offenses. His plea was filed last month. Along with the sentence, Samples was ordered against having further contact with Tallant. Superior Court Judge David Dickinson was assigned to the case.

By: Kayla Robins
SOUTH FORSYTH — A former paraprofessional in the Forsyth County school system pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery and one count of simple battery against three boys under the age of 16. Marvin Shane Pilcher, 26, was sentenced last month to 11 years of probation after making intentional “physical contact with the intimate parts” of two minors without their consent at an unknown time between October and November 2012. Both counts carried five years on probation. The last year of probation stemmed from a guilty plea for intentionally making “physical contact of an insulting and provoking nature” by placing his “hand upon the upper thigh” of a third minor at an unknown date between Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2012, according to records provided by the Forsyth County Clerk of Courts office. Pilcher graduated from South Forsyth High School and had worked for the district since 2009. He was employed at Riverwatch Middle School at the time of his arrest. A letter the school district sent out to parents at the time of his arrest stated he was no longer employed with the system. He was a teacher’s assistant for special education and a certified paraprofessional. Along with his probation sentence, Pilcher was ordered to surrender his teaching certificate, serve 120 hours of community service within one year and pay a $3,230 probation supervision fine. He posted a $5,610 bond to be released from his arrest. He is not allowed to have any form of contact with the victims or their families. In addition, Pilcher must follow “special conditions of probation” as a sex offender, which includes completing a treatment program and sex offender evaluation. Each absence is punished by one week in jail. He also must pay for costs of any of the victim’s mental health evaluations or counseling and cannot have any contact with anyone younger than 18 without approved supervision. He cannot go anywhere his probation officer designates as a place where children may be present, including movie theaters, stores, schools, amusement parks, etc. He also can’t leave Forsyth County without permission. According to a previous FCN report, a cached online document of school clubs on Riverwatch’s website listed Pilcher as the sponsor for its chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as did the Forsyth Dawson FCA website. Forsyth County Superior Court Judge David Dickinson was assigned to the case.

By: Kelly Whitmire
FORYSTH COUNTY — During a steering committee meeting last week, Forsyth County Drug Court provided an updated on its practices and success. Forsyth County Chief Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bagley, told the gathering Tuesday that the aim of the program was to stop the enrollees from getting in more trouble.“The judges and criminal officials saw that if we could intervene in a person’s life, and try to get them some treatment, try to get them straightened out, then maybe we would stop, as we say, that revolving door,” he said. Bagley noted that the most abused substance has evolved during his time with drug court.“When I started the program in ’04, [it was] methamphetamine,” he said. “That has changed, now we get prescription painkillers, the Oxys [OxyContin] the Roxys [Roxicodone] and then that’s morphed into heroin.” Though some who attend the program are resistant, Bagley said it presses participants to make changes.“We call it coerced treatment, and there’s a lot of controversy. [People said], ‘You can’t coerce someone into treatment.’ Yes, you can,” Bagley said. “We do, and it works. After three months, you begin to see a change. After six months, you really begin to see a change.” Enrollees must have been arrested for a drug crime and meet clinical conditions for substance abuse or dependence.“They need to have a problem,” Bagley said. “We’re spending a lot of resources, time and effort and money on these people. And if they don’t really have a problem with drugs or addiction, we don’t really need to expend that on them.” Attendees are required to go to a weekly court attendance review, pay fees, take random drug tests and must be a student or full-time employee or both. The program does not take those convicted of violent crimes or who have been arrested for distribution of drugs.“We don’t take any sale or distribution of drugs for obvious reasons,” Bagley said. “You don’t want somebody you’re bringing in to your program to start dealing and dealing to your participants.” According to the presentation, nationally 75 percent of those who graduate the drug court program are still drug free two years later. Forsyth boasts 254 graduates and has 65 current participants.“No disrespect to the rehab programs that are out there, there are a lot of good ones out there,” Bagley said. “[But] I have seen so many participants … who have failed each and every time in the private rehabs, and then they come into drug court program and they graduate.”

By: Brian Paglia
Back in June, I proposed a group of early contenders for Forsyth County Defensive Player of the Year, and in that group was an impressive collection of talent – an ACC commit, a two-sport Division I prospect, two quarterback menaces and a tackling robot. Now, at the mid-point of the high school football season, the county’s defensive star power has waned a bit. No county team has emerged as a defensive juggernaut. Forsyth Central has been the best in the county, allowing 15.0 points per game, followed by South Forsyth (20.4), Lambert (20.6), Pinecrest Academy (21.8), West Forsyth (36.8) and North Forsyth (39.4). No rest for a weary scoreboard operator. Some of my contenders have succumbed to the defensive malaise in the county. Others have thrived despite it. Here’s a look at how my five early picks for county defensive player of the year have fared so far this season: Alec Coburn, West Forsyth Last season: Coburn had 79 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hurries, seven sacks, four pass break-ups and three forced fumbles. He was named second-team all-Region 6-AAAAAA and first-team all-county. This season: The senior linebacker has 24 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, two quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in five games for West (2-3). Verdict: Coburn has validated the preseason attention. He’s on pace to eclipse his season totals in tackles for loss and sacks from a year ago, and he did it during the toughest stretch of West’s schedule. Imagine what havoc Coburn can still create with games left against North Forsyth (0-5) and Johns Creek (0-5). Manny Godswill, South Forsyth Last season: Godswill had 57 tackles, a team-high seven sacks, five pass break-ups and three tackles for loss. He was named first-team all-Region 6-AAAAAA and all-county. This season: The senior linebacker has 18 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks in five games for South (4-1). The verdict: Godswill has been steady this season. Really, that’s all South has needed him to be as the War Eagles have gotten off to a 4-1 start. But they’ll need more in the second half. South’s first five games were against teams that went a combined 5-20 entering Friday. Its final five games are against teams that went 13-12. Jeremy Johnson, Lambert Last season: Johnson had 69 tackles, 13 pass break-ups, six interceptions and one forced fumble. He was named first-team all-region and all-county and selected to play in the RisingSeniors.com Georgia Junior Bowl. This season: The senior safety has 17 tackles and one interception for Lambert (2-3). Johnson also has three kick-off returns for touchdowns. The verdict: Last year’s runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year had a tough act to follow, especially after making a name for himself with the stats and scholarship offers and RisingSeniors.com Georgia Junior Bowl appearance. His defensive stats suggest Johnson is having a quiet season so far, but his three touchdowns on kickoff returns are a reminder of just how dangerous Johnson can be. Trevon McSwain, Lambert Last season: McSwain had 67 tackles, 16 quarterback hurries, nine sacks, seven tackles for loss, four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles at Lanier. This season: The senior defensive end, who is committed to Duke, has nine tackles in three games for Lambert. The verdict: There was palpable excitement when McSwain transferred from Lanier this offseason. I mean, when’s the last time the county had a 6-foot-7, 240-pounder terrorizing quarterbacks? Exactly. But it’s hard not to be underwhelmed by McSwain’s production. Granted, he was hampered by an allergic reaction in Lambert’s season-opener against Lanier and was out against Alpharetta with an injury. But does he has too far to catch up? Victor Peppers, Forsyth Central Last season: Peppers had 98 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries as he was named all-region 7-AAAAA and all-county. This season: The senior linebacker has 30 tackles, one tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery for Central (3-2). The verdict: Peppers isn’t on the prodigious tackling pace he was a year ago, but Central is a better overall defensive unit this season. The pass break-up and fumble recovery prove Peppers is making an impact. If his tackle numbers rise and the Bulldogs stay in the playoff hunt, Peppers’ stock would be restored. Brian Paglia is sports editor at the Forsyth County News. He can be reached at bpaglia@forsythnews.com, 770-205-8976 or follow him on Twitter at @BrianPaglia.

By: Newsroom Staff
CUMMING -- There’s just a few months remaining in 2014, but local libraries have a calendar full of events to last from fall to New Years, from global cultural studies to personal ancestry workshops. The Forsyth County Public Library will hold six events designed to help both amateur and experienced family genealogists discover their own histories as part of the Fall Genealogy Series in October, while looking forward to a monthly “One World Forsyth” program series to celebrate culture across the world. Fall Genealogy Series The Fall Genealogy Series kicks off with local historian Don Shadburn’s “Forsyth County History and Genealogy Research” at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Cumming Library. Shadburn is recognized as a leading research authority on Georgia families of Cherokee blood, according to a library news release. He will share tips for using basic research resources available on the county’s history and genealogy. A “Digital Library of Georgia” workshop will be presented by Digital Projects Librarian Mandy Mastrovita on Oct. 20 at the Sharon Forks Library. Mastrovita will introduce participants to collections in the Digital Library of Georgia that are helpful to genealogical researchers, including newspapers, tax records, death certificates and photo collections. All resources examined in the workshop are available online for free. The session begins at 2 p.m. Angela Stanley, an archivist and librarian, will present “Navigating the Genealogy Heavyweights — Ancestry and FamilySearch” at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Post Road Library. Stanley will conduct a classroom-style presentation, answering questions on how to access the popular sites and how to use either to discover individual family histories. Anyone interested in local history may want to attend Atlanta author Joe Dabney’s discussion of his book “Mountain Spirits” on Oct. 22 at the Cumming Library. Beginning at 2 p.m., Dabney will share interviews about actual moonshiners to help illuminate the origins and development of the art of making bootleg whiskey. Those curious about their ancestry but who don’t have any experience in genealogy or research are welcomed to join Atlanta History Center senior activist Sue VerHoef for “Life in the Past Lane – Beginning Genealogy” at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Hampton Park Library. Attendees can learn tips and resources that can help them embark on their own ancestral journey. Laurel-Ann Dooley will discuss the underworld of Atlanta’s past through her latest book, “Wicked Atlanta.” She will take listeners on a journey through the past dealings of kidnapping, bribery, wives who hired hit men and all types of “criminal debauchery” in the city. “Wicked Atlanta — Author Talk with Laurel-Ann Dooley” is set for Oct. 25 at the Sharon Forks Library. It starts at 2 p.m. All events are free, but advance registration is required. One World Forsyth A celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, will kick off the “One World Forsyth” global cultural studies series at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Sharon Folks Library. Programs, sponsored by the Forsyth County Public Library Friends and Advocates, will be held each month at one of the four library branches on a rotating basis. They are free and intended for all ages. Advance registration is not required to attend.“We are so excited about bringing aspects of global cultures to our local library,” said Laura Bradley, the library’s program manager. “Our new One World Forsyth series offers a fun and entertaining way for children, teens and adults to widen their worldview by learning about geography, plant and animal life, different cultural traditions, celebrations, games and even different foods from all around the world.” October’s Diwali Celebration will include a traditional dance performance and samples of foods and treats served during Diwali. It also will include diyas, or small lamps made of clay that hold a bit of oil and a cotton wick, to paint and decorate. These lamps are symbolic of the “spiritual victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair.” The dance performance will be presented by Sudakshina Mukherjee of Atlanta Nritya Academy. November’s event will be a presentation for Native American Heritage Month at the Hampton Park Library. Acclaimed storyteller Barry Stewart Mann will present “Peace Pipes and Talking Leaves: Cherokee Leaders and Lore” at 2 p.m. Nov. 16. Through the voices of three historical figures — Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, Nancy Ward, beloved woman, and Dragging Canoe, brave warrior — Mann will share Cherokee folklore, customs and history. The Cumming Library will welcome the North Georgia Zoo’s Wildlife Wonders on Dec. 8 for “Animals Around the World.” The program, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will take the audience around the world, visiting an array of animals from the tropics to the desert and from reptiles to insects and mammals to birds. The library intends to plan One World Forsyth programs for 2015 as popularity grows.

By: Kayla Robins
SOUTH FORSYTH — Forsyth County is known for its many parks and recreational activities, but one local site now sits separate from the rest as a designated peace park. The Rotary Club of South Forsyth used a grant to install a peace pole at Fowler Park last week, mirroring others across the world as a reminder of the need for peace.“No matter where you’re from, what religion you are, your background, what you have going on, it’s a unification area to remind people about peace for all of humanity,” said Valery Lang Hall, president-elect of the club. A metal pole, at least 10 to12 feet tall, sits in the middle of a Rotary wheel and landscaped green-space “just at the trailhead,” Hall said. “May peace prevail on Earth” is inscribed in different languages. Forsyth County Superior Court Chief Judge Jeffrey Bagley gave the keynote address during the dedication Wednesday, saying there are about 200,000 of the poles worldwide, placed in various communities with their own makeup. Reached Friday, he said that the inspiration for a pole being placed often is in response to a local situation. He spoke of the “unfortunate events that happened in 1912 that precipitated the lynching on the courthouse square and then the intimidation by vigilante groups,” resulting in about 1,000 African Americans to leave Forsyth County.“We’ve come such a long way [since then],” Bagley said. “You can see it in our jury pool, which is a cross-section of the county. We are very proud of the progress we have made in Forsyth County in the past 30-40 years.” The pole, he said, speaks of the need for world peace because “nothing good comes out of war.“The peace pole represents a new era in our community of tolerance. It’s hard to bring these things up, but if we don’t … [history] will repeat itself,” Bagley said. “Even though history can be ugly, it’s not something we can just sweep under the rug. It’s something that’s real, and it happened. And we need to talk about it so it will never happen again.” About 50 people attended the dedication, which the club concluded by releasing white doves.

By: Kayla Robins
ATLANTA — A Forsyth County resident led change and influenced future leaders — some 10,000 of them — last week during one of the largest annual gatherings of young Christian “change-makers” in the country. Tyler Reagin, who has lived in Forsyth County for about 10 years, is the newest executive director of the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, a three-day leadership experience aimed to inspire those who love church and want to be “leaders and influencers.” It was held Wednesday through Friday. Catalyst hosts groups and individuals from more than 50 denominations and 5,000 churches across all 50 states. The idea behind the nine events that Catalyst puts on throughout the year in different cities is to focus on a new generation of church leaders and change the “40 to 60-year-old mindset and medium” they grew into. Since its conception at a Next Generation Leaders Conference in 1999, more than 100,000 people have made the annual trek to Atlanta to participate.“There’s music, it’s not just worship,” Reagin said. “We bring in bands and comedy acts. We really love introducing the audience to people they should know.“We want to create a platform to put voices and people and talent in front of our audience, even if it’s small things.” Reagin has been in the leading seat for about a year. He was on the team for one year before the move up, sitting as creative director and executive producer. Prior to that, he was the service programming director at Browns Bridge Church for eight years. The theme for this year’s Atlanta conference was of creating change in the church. To do that, Reagin said, the leaders effecting that change must do so internally first.“Your heart has to change before you can lead others to change,” he said. “We are sensing a group of leaders who are not OK with an average sense of the world and who are not OK with the status quo. They’re passionate about trying to make things better.” Reagin noted that the conference diverted from its typical format by introducing “team collectives, an intentional break from regular conference sessions to allow teams and individuals to reflect on the content from stage and work through guided exercises to create action steps for their teams, churches and organizations post-conference.”“It’s been really fruitful for us to see these leaders see the lights go on,” he added. His team consists of 25 people, from the inspired team to production and programming groups to the content team, who “really succeeded this week and did a phenomenal job.” Reagin said the biggest gratification of the job is seeing the impact in his community.“It’s more of a calling,” he said. “You continue to serve in the areas you’ve been placed. When God opens a door, you trust that God’s got this and not just me. It’s not easy to move into that, but it gives you a peace to know it.” Above all, though, he said it’s great to see everyone “just hang out and have a good time.”“The truth is, we all want to smile no matter what we’re going through,” he said. “We tend to enjoy it more.”

By: Newsroom Staff
GAINESVILLE — The cellmate of a Hall County Jail inmate found dead Sunday is being held on suspicion of murder, law enforcement officials said Monday. The victim, 72-year-old Ronald Sailers of Murrayville, was found dead in his cell at 6 a.m. Sunday. An arrest warrant for murder has been secured for Sailers’ cellmate, John Setchel, 24, of Dawsonville, by the Georgia Bureau Investigation. Setchel was being held at the jail on a Superior Court probation violation for felony obstruction of an officer. Bureau spokeswoman Sherry Lang said more information will become available after an autopsy is completed. The bureau was asked Sunday to help investigate the death. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal investigation.“Our prayers go out to the victim’s family,” said Sheriff Gerald Couch in a prepared statement. “The death of a loved one is always difficult especially when they die at the hands of another.“The offender in this case has been charged with murder and will face the consequences of his actions. We strive to protect all the residents of Hall County, including our inmate population, but violence can and does occur anywhere at any time.”

By: Foster Lander
Physicists have a term—potential energy—that refers to, say, a bow-and-arrow, where the arrow waits on a drawn string, taken out of its natural position, to spring forward, back to where it belongs. Forsyth Central running back Shaun Diebel, forced to sit out last season, bid his time out of his element, running track for the Bulldogs, waiting to return to his favorite sport. And so it was that on Aug. 29, in Central’s season opener against Dawson County, Diebel sprang loose for 189 yards and three touchdowns, and 151 more in a Sept. 5 win over Woodland-Cartersville. "I like to be aggressive," Diebel said, watching from the sideline as Central defensive backs practiced in a drizzle on Monday. "I like to hit somebody and have them thinking that they don’t want to hit me again. When I hit the hole, it’s full speed every time and I don’t slow down until the whistle blows." Diebel is no savior—he did not play for the 2-8 Bulldogs last year—but his strong running out of the Wishbone is a big reason for Central’s ascent to playoff contention. The junior is second in Forsyth County with 704 yards rushing and eight touchdowns through five games as Central started 3-2. Central coach Shane Williamson admitted before this season that he struggled to adjust to his new surroundings and new players last year. That changed over the summer, when the Bulldogs attended a Christian football camp and grew closer. "Upperclassmen and younger kids didn’t get along as well before, but now when we come out here, we’re more of a family," Diebel said. "When somebody falls down now, people rush to help them up." Williamson noticed the speedy Diebel preparing for Central’s track season last winter and asked him to join the football team. It was a no-brainer for Diebel, who played football in eighth grade and his freshman year, to return to the gridiron. In January workouts and spring practice, the undersized Bulldogs used a power-lifting regimen that Williamson brought to bulk up for the rigors of Class AAAAA football. Diebel improved his squat from 225 pounds to more than 400 pounds. "In spring practice, we looked like we were still playing for ourselves," Diebel said. "This summer, though, we started to love each other … Coach Williamson turned us in to a team." Diebel leads Forsyth County with 114 rushing attempts (22.8 per game); even when he’s not toting the ball, he’s blocking for Sabrian Howard. In other words, Diebel, who described his running style as ‘goofy’ with long strides, needed all the extra muscle. "I love the contact the most," Diebel said. "It’s a great way to get anger out; even if you had a bad day at school, you can come down here and lay some wood." Diebel said he wants to reach 1,000 yards this season. He needs just 296 yards in the Bulldogs’ final five games (59.2 per game) to reach that milestone. At this rate, Diebel is on pace for—usually an exercise in futility—more than 1,400 yards. North Atlanta (1-5, including a 55-0 loss to Riverwood) visits Central this Friday as the Bulldogs look to move back above .500 in Region 7-AAAAA, Div. B. Diebel knows better than to laugh off an opponent like the Warriors. After all, Central was one of those teams chalked up as a win before toe even met leather just last season. "We can’t take anybody lightly at this point," Diebel said, turning serious. "I mean, teams would kind of laugh before they played us in the past. We’ve been there."

By: Kelly Whitmire
SOUTH FORSYTH — For the second straight year, a Forsyth County student is being recognized for making something positive out of a tragedy. Lambert High School junior Madison Romeo was recently named to Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s National Teen Influencer Panel.“This is my second year doing it,” Romeo said. “And it’s just a group of 10 teens selected from a few hundred applicants.” For Romeo being chosen was a positive outcome of a family tragedy.“It’s really, really special to me. It feels like such a great accomplishment, because I work with MADD so often, and because my grandmother was killed in a drunk driving crash,” Romeo said. “It feels like I took something bad and made it into something good.” Romeo has been doing activities with the group since 2007, when the vehicle in which her late grandmother was traveling was struck by a drunk driver in Ellijay. According to her family, it was the other driver’s fifth DUI, and he is currently serving 10 years in prison.“When somebody in your family is killed or injured, MADD is almost immediate in contacting you,” Romeo said. “They contacted our family and so we went to their candlelight vigils and their walks, and things like that.” Romeo got her first speaking experience when the group invited her family to attend a victim impact panel.“My dad started speaking [to the group] first, and I got up behind him and I said, ‘Daddy can I talk.’ And so I started speaking and I really haven’t stopped since,” she said.“I do work with the Georgia chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and I’ve been speaking at different panels since I was 11 or 12.” Romeo, who is an honor student and involved in Lambert’s theater program, also participates in the Power of You(th), a part of MADD that encourages teens not to drink alcohol.“One specific thing we do is we work on programs to help spread awareness of underage drinking and drinking and driving and all the things that go along with it,” she said.

By: Kelly Whitmire
NORTH FORSYTH — Forsyth County plans to explore the possibility of creating connectivity to the popular Big Creek Greenway through bicycle trails in District 4. The subarea plan, discussed during a county commission work session in September, was approved Oct. 2 via a 3-1 vote with Commissioners Jim Boff opposed and Brian Tam absent. The project was proposed by the county’s planning and community development department at the request of Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, who represents the district, which covers much of north Forsyth. Mills said the plan was in the “earliest infancy of just an idea.”“It came out of really a lot of emails I had gotten from people complaining that the [commission] didn’t have a vision for what they’d like to see the county grow into,” Mills said. “People complained that we were much more reactive than proactive.” If the plan is approved, developers might be required to build bike paths, or “spurs,” from the greenway, once it reaches Sawnee Mountain, back to individual neighborhoods. The county is currently working to extend the greenway to the mountain.“You create spurs that ultimately lead to connectivity to the greenway,” Mills said. “In the past, we’ve looked at subdivisions as being isolated … hopefully, if it’s done the way we’re hoping, developers would build a recreation component for the county.” Mills said that the plan was proposed to accommodate younger demographics that likely will want more bike paths and a chance to brand the county as an active place to live.“All they’re going to do is look at the possibility of, ‘Where do we go from here? How do we develop a plan,’” Mills said. “We’re looking at, in branding the county, what is your greatest asset? And a lot of those were our natural resources.“Hopefully it would create a place people would want to come and live, because they have that lifestyle,” she said. “It promotes a wellness lifestyle that people are looking for.” The proposed subarea would stretch from Lake Lanier to Sawnee Mountain and up to the Etowah River Blueway in the northwest corner of the county, Mills said.“We have now an opportunity, that we have enough available land … that there are several tracts of land that you could do this, if you planned accordingly now, if you had a vision to do it,” she said.

By: Kelly Whitmire
FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections has decided not to extend early voting to Sundays this election cycle. After receiving emails asking for the option, the panel decided against it at this time due to religious and financial factors.“One [member] had basis on religious reasons,” said Barbara Luth, Forsyth’s elections supervisor, of the decision made during a meeting Monday. “The cost of it, to have manpower opening up polls for Sunday, we do Saturday voting and that in itself can get costly.” The lack of time to promote Sunday voting also was a factor.“We would not have enough time prior to this election to put all of our effort into advertising to get Sunday votes in,” Luth said. “If we don’t have big turnout, your cost per ballot, if we only have a couple people show up, goes way up.” The board may revisit the Sunday voting possibility for future elections.“They are going to bring it back to the table for 2016 and see, because we know that’s a big election year,” Luth said. “If they would decide in 2015 for that, if they did decide to have Sunday voting, we would be able to advertise everything and get it out so that people would know ahead of time.” The 2016 election will include a U.S. presidential race. Saturday voting is still a relatively new concept in Forsyth County, though Luth said it’s growing in popularity.“We have not ever done Sunday voting before,” she said. “We had not done Saturday voting until the last few years, and the Saturday voting has picked up. It’s not big, but it has picked up.” Monday was the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 General Election. Although there are no local contested races on the ballot, it contains several state offices, including governor, U.S. senator, state school superintendent and both of the county’s congressional seats. Also featured is a transportation bond referendum in Forsyth. Early voting starts Oct. 13 at the county administration building in downtown Cumming. Saturday voting is set for Oct. 25 there and at four other locations. All five sites will be open to voters the week of Oct. 27-31. The other four locations include Hampton Park Library, Cumming City Hall, Midway Park Community Building and Sharon Springs Park Community Building.

By: Kayla Robins
SOUTH FORSYTH — Parents and students often are involved in a school’s news and happenings, but this week they have an opportunity to be a part of history. The Forsyth County school system is conducting voting for a name for Middle School No. 10, which is projected to open in 2016 at 625 James Road, one block south of McFarland Road off Union Hill Road. Voters can go online at forsyth.k12.ga.us through Friday and choose between three recommendations, all of which have a historical or geographical significance. The new middle school will be two stories tall, similar to Lakeside Middle, according to Jennifer Caracciolo, spokeswoman for the school system, with Brandywine Elementary — also projected to open in 2016 — on the adjoining property. The recommended name will then be taken to the school board for approval later this month. One choice is Creekside, named after the creek that runs diagonally through the school site. Voters can also choose DeSana, after the late Jim and Jeanne DeSana, who were school and community volunteers for 30 years and contributed $250,000 in scholarships to district graduates. Union Hill is the third choice, named after the road in south Forsyth. The name has also been associated with the area since the 1830s. No matter which of the three names is chosen, the middle school will be the first built through the bond referendum voters approved in May, Caracciolo said. Attendance lines have not yet been established. Typically, Caracciolo said, “that occurs a year prior to its opening.”

By: Newsroom Staff
GAINESVILLE — The University of North Georgia is bucking national trends on college enrollment. The university has seen record enrollment across its campuses this year, even as enrollment has dropped nationwide. And officials said the largest increase in terms of percentage was at UNG’s Cumming campus, which saw a 34 percent increase over last year. The U.S. Census Bureau reports college enrollment fell by close to a million between 2011 and ’13. At UNG, enrollment has increased by 2.5 percent over last year, with 16,508 students at the beginning of the fall semester. Janet Marling, acting vice president for student affairs at the university, said a number of factors may have contributed to the increase, including the consolidation process. The University of North Georgia was formed when Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University merged in January 2013. Enrollment did not increase at the Gainesville campus this year, but the university saw gains at its Cumming, Dahlonega and Oconee County campuses.“Consolidation has really afforded us the opportunity to examine our recruitment process, our admission process and our retention program,” she said. Retention efforts include programs meant to help students progress through school more quickly.“We’re still looking at the data, but we’re hoping that our multiple pathways to a degree and the resources that students have are encouraging them to stay,” Marling said. “We’re really trying to encourage students to persist in school.” She said the university has been advising students to take more than the minimum 12 credit hours per year needed to be considered full time, which can curb tuition costs by allowing earlier graduation. The university also makes efforts to inform students of their best financial aid options.“Research has shown that if you are engaged in a way that you earn a degree more quickly, you do save money in the long run,” Marling said. “We try to ensure that as many students as possible are aware of their options to stay in school.” Trouble paying bills, she said, is “where you lose the most students.” She said the university encourages students to enroll in 30 credit hours per year if they are able, whether that means taking 15 credit hours each semester or supplementing a lighter course load with summer classes. While the largest increase in terms of percentage was at the Cumming campus, which saw a 34 percent increase over the previous year, Marling said this didn’t amount to a large number of students since the total enrollment at that campus is 736. At the Dahlonega campus, which houses about 6,000 students, enrollment increased by 4.6 percent.“Our definitive increase was at the Dahlonega campus, from a head count perspective,” Marling said. The university expanded the number of bachelor’s degree programs offered at the Gainesville campus this year. Though Gainesville is the only campus where enrollment was down this year, Marling noted the decrease was just 16 students. She said the new bachelor’s degree programs are part of a larger effort to offer more pathways to a degree. She said consolidation has made this effort possible.“It provides different ways of allowing them to succeed,” she said. The new programs are also designed to be relevant to the educational needs of the community.“We have to really look at that strategically so we’re not offering programs just to say we have more to offer,” Marling said. “We are certainly not getting away from our associate degree programs.” She said the university also offers dual enrollment programs for high school students, which may have contributed to the increase in enrollment this year. Students are also able to pursue degrees while attending more than one campus, taking online classes or attending school part time. The idea is to offer as much flexibility as possible in the pursuit of a college degree, which Marling said is important both to recruitment and retention. However, she said the most important factor is providing a quality education.“You can have absolutely all the best practices,” she said, “but ultimately if you don’t have a good product to deliver, that won’t matter.”

By: Kayla Robins
SOUTH FORSYTH — Pirates, queens and scholars all took to the stage Tuesday to vie for top spelling honor. But this spelling bee had a twist: the contestants, adorned in team costumes, were all adults. Fittingly, a trio of librarians calling themselves “Spells Like Teen Spirit” spelled their way to No. 1. The 15thannual Spell Check Live! was held at the Lanier Technical College Forsyth Conference Center to raise money for Literacy Forsyth, an organization that provides educational opportunities for adults, including GED preparation and English classes.“I’m always astounded at the spellers,” said Denise Leeson, secretary for the nonprofit and branch manager for Cumming Library, “but the costumes are the best.” The adult spelling bee is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year, typically collecting about $10,000, Leeson said. As a new addition this year, contestants, judges, hosts and audience members gathered ahead of time for food, drinks and music at the Buzz Before the Bee. Teams were able to buy lifeline-type cards for $100 each, which came into play quickly. Although the first team out, “Pirates of the Sea (not to be confused with C, which comes after B…Rrrr)” from Midway Elementary School took home the prize for best costume. Judges — Fonda Harrison, chief academic officer for Forsyth County Schools, Lynn Jackson, administrator for Northside Hospital, and Jon McDaniel, director of the Forsyth County Public Library System — kept track of words such as “demagoguery,” “champignon” and “doctrinaire” as the field thinned to two teams. Spells Like Teen Spirit won with the word “dysrhythmia,” beating out the “Queen Bees” from the South Forsyth Rotary Club.“It’s just shocking. We’re newbies at this,” said Meredith Bowermeister, information services supervisor at Sharon Forks Library. “We’re new to the [county’s] library system, so it’s kind of empowering. It was good collaborative teamwork.” Bowermeister and her teammates dressed in T-shirts, jeans and leggings, tying flannel shirts around their waists, reminiscent of a 1990s teenager.“The words were just so out there and unusual,” said team member Jennifer Kovac, information services supervisor at Cumming Library. They practiced a little before the bee, but “for the most part, we just hoped for the best,” said Sarah Reynolds, Post Road Library information services supervisor. The other teams they topped were the “Middle School Word Nerds” from Forsyth County Schools, “Spelling Scholars” from longtime participant Lanier Tech, and “Beetarians” from Forsyth County Rotary Club.“People might be shocked to know there are 13,000 adults [in the county] without a high school education or the equivalent,” said James McCoy, master of ceremonies for the bee. “It’s hard to advance in economic standing without the most basic for of education.” McCoy, who’s also the president and CEO of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said he wanted to be involved in the bee “not just because I care about the people of the community, but it’s an economic issue, too.”

By: Kayla Robins
FORSYTH COUNTY —Georgia saw slight year-to-year drops in state- and district-level SAT scores, but test takers in Forsyth County remained above the cut, including earning the highest score among the state’s 15 largest school districts for the second year. All of Forsyth’s public high schools — and the district as a whole — surpassed Georgia’s SAT average for the 2014 exams for the sixth year, and posted higher scores than the national average for the second year.“I am proud of the continued work of our students and staff,” said Jeff Bearden, school superintendent. “Though we had slight decreases in the school and district scores, this is reflective of what has occurred across the state this year.“I am pleased that we increased our number of test takers by 158 additional students, bringing the total number of test takers to 1,946. Our district is committed to preparing students for college and the work force, and by having more students take the SAT [we] are creating greater opportunities for them.” South Forsyth High posted the 12th highest school SAT score in Georgia, with Lambert at 19th.“We’re thrilled, of course,” said Jeff Cheney, South principal. “It really shows we’re a community that wants the rigor for their students and a teaching staff who’s focusing on delivering that.“We integrate a lot of high-level critical thinking and vocabulary through our curriculum to prepare our kids. We’re a school that’s operating at a level where we have an obligation to prepare our kids for competitive admissions.” Cheney said a team met Tuesday after receiving official scores to start mapping out a plan for improvement.“We look at the schools ahead of us, the ones with similar populations and demographics and size, and we want to reach out to them,” Cheney said. “Because they consistently score 30-40 points higher than us, even at the high level we’re achieving at.“We did it about four years ago when we had a slight dip. We recommitted to prepping our students better.” Cheney said he thinks South’s teachers are one of “the best teaching staffs in the state. They’re very dedicated, and they take their jobs very seriously. As a district, we’re fortunate to have our and the whole teaching staff.” South ranked 15th in critical reading (550) and math (559). The school-wide score of 538 earned the 16th spot. As a district, Forsyth was the only system to sit in the top five in all three tests. It was fifth for critical reading (527) and writing (509), while posting the highest math score (532) of any system in the state. State averages for math (485) and critical reading (488) dropped by two points, according to a news release from the Georgia Department of Education. In writing, scores dropped by three points to 472.“Do we want to see scores go up every year? Absolutely,” State School Superintendent John Barge said in a statement. “However, we know that as more Georgia students take the SAT, we will sometimes see slight decreases.“The measures are in place to better prepare students for college and 21st-century careers and, by extension, the SAT. The gains in scores will come.” Seventy-seven percent of Georgia seniors, or 73,626 total, took the SAT in 2014, marking a 2.1 percent increase from 2013, and more minority students are taking the test. These are both positive indicators that greater numbers of students are pursuing higher education opportunities, according to the education department.

By: Kayla Robins
WEST FORSYTH — Organizers of a family festival and race Saturday are hoping to bring awareness to a serious and dangerous issue they say many people don’t think happens close to home. More than 250 runners and walkers are expected to participate in the third annual Mission Impossible: Run for One and Family Festival at Midway United Methodist Church in Alpharetta. The goal is to raise enough money to put one girl through the recovery program at Wellspring Living, a nonprofit working to end domestic minor sex trafficking.“People may be shocked to know that human trafficking exists in current times and is so prominent in the Atlanta area, partially due to large numbers of conventions, large sporting events, etc.,” said Julia Murray, the church’s pastoral ministry assistant.“In fact, much of the demand is in the northern suburbs [because] that’s where the concentration of money is.” Wellspring Living runs survivor and residential programs for girls ages 12-25 who are victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, offering trauma therapy and individual, group and family counseling. Spiritual care, education, life and vocational skills and confidence building are also offered, as is support to gain independence.“Wellspring Living is a new mission partner of ours at Midway,” said Jim Allen, head of the church’s global outreach team. “We hosted a work day at one of their campuses last month to help with landscaping, grounds work and handyman-type jobs. While we were there, officials were so gracious about sharing with us what they do.“There wasn’t a dry eye in the group. Every person who was there was deeply touched by the stories of these young girls who have been through the worst experience imaginable, yet were restored physically, emotionally and spiritually. We’re excited to bring the community together to make an immediate impact on one girl.” Instead of the traditional “fun run” for kids, there will be an obstacle course for ages 5 to 12. Those wishing to participate in either the 5K, which is a qualifier for the Peachtree Roadrace, or the obstacle course can register at active.com in advance or in person on the day of the race. This year, the church added a family festival to the event. It will include live music, games, dwarf ponies for petting, canine assistance dogs and inflatable bounce houses. The festival is free except for hot food.“We might not be able to change the world,” Allen said, “but we can change the world for one person. And that’s a race worth running.”

By: Kelly Whitmire
FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County commission approved a bid for a high-density filing system during its work session Tuesday. The bid of about $265,982 was awarded to DeKalb Office Products and includes instillation. The unit will be used for physical files and is part of the new courthouse and jail projected scope and budget, according to county officials.“It’s a high-density filing system, something like you would see at a doctor’s office perhaps, the one’s that they have crank on it, and it slides across guidelines,” said Donna Kukarola, the county’s procurement director. “It’s for heavy files. It’s a space-saving kind of unit.” The commission also voted to contribute $5,000 toward the design of a proposed fountain outside of the courthouse. The fountain would be built with donations from the community, but required an initial design before donations could proceed. Commissioners had previously approved installing the necessary infrastructure for the fountain.

Man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder

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Paglia: Reviewing preseason Forsyth County Defensive Player of the Year picks

Fall library offerings include ancestry, global culture

South Rotary’s peace pole a reminder at Fowler Park

Forsyth man heads Christian leadership conference

Man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder

Ex-parapro pleads guilty to sexual battery

Cellmate suspected of murder in inmate's death

THE GRIND: Forsyth Central's Diebel making up for lost time

Lambert junior on MADD panel

Greenway connectivity explored for north Forsyth

No voting on Sunday this year

Name sought for new middle school

UNG hits enrollment record

Librarians take adult spelling bee

District, school SAT scores top averages

5K Saturday to raise awareness of sex trafficking

Forsyth County getting new filing system