Area News

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor The Georgia State Election Board is investigating reports of voter intimidation by Trenton Police Chief Steve Beaudoin and Trenton Police Commissioner Mike Norris during the Nov. 4 election. Per the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, records can’t be released while the case is under investigation, but the office did send…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor At the very start of this year, the Sentinel reported on the attendance problems Dade County Schools face. Now, we are delighted to report that across the district, Dade’s attendance rates have improved by 6.5 percent compared to this time last year. Also, compared to the 2023-2024 chronic absenteeism rate,…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor After reading Sandra Gentry’s account of her daughter’s mental illness in the Dec. 3 Sentinel, Ronald Baldwin offered to share with readers about his personal experience with mental illness. Having covered the Dade County Jail’s perspective and a family member’s perspective on the issue, we hoped to cover a patient’s…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor “We’re all privileged that we have a library that we can come help with and enjoy,” says Kappi Brown, bibliophile and faithful volunteer at the Dade County Public Library. Brown has lived in Dade County for over 50 years, and when she retired from her career early, she began using…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Actor Johnny Depp is friends with a Bank of Dade customer, actress Demi Moore needs money from a Citizens Bank and Trust customer, and Major Tommy Bradford (Dade County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy) is calling and texting people demanding money to address legal problems—at least that’s what scammers would have…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor When Mary Verenice Cooper Hawkins was a student at Valley Head School, one of her high school teachers trained the students to think for themselves and live with conviction. This (and her parents’ influence) made an impression on Hawkins, and she used critical thinking and conviction throughout her nursing career,…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor On Nov. 26, News Channel 9 ran an update on the Trenton Puppy Mill case from July. The station’s online headline read, “Trenton leaders say lack of transparency let massive dog hoarding case get out of control,” so the Sentinel followed up with Monda Wooten (City of Trenton street commissioner)…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Earlier this month, the Sentinel covered mental illness from the Dade County Jail perspective. We then had the honor of sitting down with Sandra Gentry, a mother who knows all too well how severe mental illness impacts a family. Gentry’s daughter, now in her early 50s, had her first psychotic…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor The Dade County Public Library’s recording studio has been put to good use over the last couple years by two creative groups: Brandi Gann recorded part of her first audiobook in the library’s studio, and the Life With ROJO podcast found its footing in the library. The studio room isn’t…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor For almost five months now, the Dade County community has been following along with one Rising Fawn family’s journey to save their daughter’s arm. A traumatic accident almost took the left arm of 12-year-old Peyson Harris, but with the dedication of skilled surgeons, her arm was rebuilt. Through many surgeries,…