Area News

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Last week, ice wreaked havoc on the roads. Temperatures in the single digits and windshields in the negatives led to traffic accidents, closed businesses, and a week of school closings. Dade County Schools were closed on January 12th due to wind storms, on the 15th for Martin Luther King Jr.…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor The Dade County elections office is recruiting volunteers for this year’s election cycle. Poll workers are paid $10 per hour (for 14-hour days), but most people do not sign up because of the money. Carolyn Hixson (Dade County Board of Elections member) said, “Most people aren’t aware that it pays…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor The latest reports indicate that Dade County may soon see the completion of the historic courthouse’s long-lasting renovation project. In October 2023’s county commission meeting, Blevins Construction Management (BCM) anticipated completion of the project by the end of the first quarter of 2024. In early January, Don Townsend (county clerk…

Contributed article – by Don Townsend My name is Don Townsend. Today, I announce my candidacy for the Office of County Executive and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Dade County, Georgia. I feel that I am the most qualified person to run for this position. I have served as County Clerk and Chief Financial Officer…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor The December 20th issue of the Sentinel included an article titled, “Fentanyl Distributor Tried for Murder,” which briefly recapped a fall 2023 court case about Terry Lebron Mitchell and Erin Elizabeth Phillips (who died of a fentanyl overdose). The article included information from the court disposition and statements from Clayton…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Walker County Schools received a $3 million Georgia College and Career Academy Project (GCCAP) grant to expand dual enrollment options through the Walker Launch program, and cross-district collaboration means that Dade County Schools will also benefit from the updates. Damon Raines (Walker County Schools superintendent) explained that the vision for…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor At the January 8th meeting of the City of Trenton Board of Commissioners, Alex Case (mayor) gave an update on the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). He reported that the people who have expressed interest and who the commission has discussed are Ryan Faircloth, Wesley Bethune, Stephanie Lawson, Cheryl McGee, Monda…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Alex Case (City of Trenton mayor), Elizabeth Zeller (Dade County Water and Sewer Authority interim general manager), and Ryan and Melissa Faircloth attended the January 8th meeting of the Industrial Development Authority, with the Faircloths and Case bringing up concerns during public input. Early in the meeting, Evan Stone (executive…

By LYDIA BERGLAR News Editor Mike Rowe (narrator and TV host known for “Dirty Jobs” and “Somebody’s Gotta Do It”) started the Work Ethic Scholarship Program to encourage diligent workers to pursue the skilled trades. In 2008, he founded the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which receives donations from a number of other foundations and companies to fund…