#1: Barbara Wheatley & Bruce Lazarus
#3: Laurel Adams & Dr. Samuel L. Church
#4: Kristin Kalwara & Bill Jones
#5: Sandi Entwistle & Doug Smith
#6: Dawn Saraney & Keith Christensen
#7: Angela Puleo & Darren Harper
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Cherish Serene Stewart, 46, of Hiawassee, was arrested and charged with five counts of forgery in the first degree, and five counts of theft by taking in excess of $1,500.
According to the arrest report obtained from Hiawassee Police Department, the date of the alleged offense was documented as occuring Dec. 21, 2018. The complainant was listed as United Community Bank. A total amount of $5,900 was recorded as allegedly stolen from United Community Bank by Stewart, via the report. A detective with Hiawassee Police Department met with the bank president March 29, upon consultation with an Enotah Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney, in order to acquire additional information on the investigation.
According to Hiawassee Police Chief Paul Smith, Enotah Judicial Circuit may claim an “open investigation/pending prosecution” case which would prevent additional details from being released at this time. FYN will update future information should it become available.
Stewart is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. – United Community Bank, whose corporate office is located in Blairsville, has been named by J.D. Power as the highest-ranking bank in customer service in the southeast for the fifth year in a row.
United Community Bank is the third largest bank in Georgia, with 65 branches statewide.
Forbes, in conjunction with market research firm Statista, surveyed over 25,000 banking customers on their current and former banking experiences, in order to compile a list of the 100 Best Banks in America.
Banks and credit unions were evaluated on overall satisfaction and recommendations, financial advice, branch and digital services, terms and conditions, and trust.
Up to five banks per state were recognized, with 124 nationwide banks earning a spot on Forbes inaugural list.
“Earning this recognition confirms that we are providing our customers with the service they deserve, which is our number one priority,” Community Banking President Bill Gilbert said, “Our roots are in Georgia and we are pleased that our efforts to go the extra mile to take care of our customers is both recognized and appreciated in our home state.”
Synovus Bank and SunTrust Bank, respectfully, placed second and third.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Towns, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. – For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Enotah Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Chairman Liz Ruf joined the Mountain Movers and Shakers on Friday, Oct. 26, to promote the annual Dancing with the North Georgia Stars fundraising event, scheduled for the evening of Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Union County Schools Performing Arts Center in Blairsville.
The event is sponsored by United Community Bank.
Funds raised will benefit the Enotah CASA program with the training and management of additional volunteers to serve as a consistent adult figure, and a voice for the vulnerable children, within the foster care system of Towns, Union, Lumpkin, and White counties.
“CASA is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation by making sure a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the security of a loving family,” the CASA website explains.
Each North Georgia Star will be paired with a professional or semi-professional dancer from the region to present a variety of dancing genres, from modern jazz to classical ballroom. Each team will perform choreographed dance routines before a live audience.
Each dollar earned by a dancer equals one vote. Fans can vote for their favorite celebrity couple through Nov. 3, until 11:30 a.m. online, and at the event.
Donate to a favorite couple using the links listed below.
A People’s Choice Award will be presented to the couple who raises the most funds.
Dance teams will be judged the night of the competition on costume, choreography & technical performance by an impartial three judge panel. The winning dance team will be awarded the Mirror Ball trophy.
Tickets for the event are available on the Enotah CASA website.
The 2018 dancing duos are as follows:
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Two pit stops occurred in the heart of Hiawassee during the 9th annual Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In.
The first took place on the evening of Wednesday, July 11, as a fresh event was introduced to the itinerary: A “drive-in” movie presentation of the 1978 classic hit, ‘Grease’, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Vehicles from different eras traveled from miles around to rest their engines on Hiawassee Square while their owners enjoyed a night on the town. Hiawassee Mayor Liz Ordiales graciously welcomed newcomers to the event as they arrived, taking their seats among the ever-growing crowd. A senior couple danced to aptly-themed music, entertaining bystanders before the main event began. Towns County High School football players sold beverages to fund the purchase of needed equipment. Towns County Library Branch Manager Debbie Phillips operated an old-fashion popcorn machine, and the smell of a vendor’s hot boiled peanuts tempted guests to snack as they watched the film.
The following day, Thursday, July 12, the owners of antique vehicles, along with appreciative spectators, flocked to the town square to participate in Hiawassee’s second annual Moonshine Cruiz-In Block Party. A parade of classic cars arrived on the square at noon, greeted by upbeat music streamed by “Soundman” Tim Massey. A sudden downpour of rain began to fall in unison as the cars roared in. Attendees sought shelter under the tents provided by United Community Bank, Hiawassee Police Department, and beneath nearby store-front awnings while they waited for the summer storm to pass. The clouds soon cleared, and visitors circled the square, stopping to converse with car owners while ogling a variety of vehicles from days gone by.
“I think it’s great that Hiawassee added (these events) to the line-up,” Jerry Shook, a Habersham County resident and the proud owner of a pristine 1956 Ford Town Sedan, told FetchYourNews, “I attend every year, and it’s a nice to have even more to look forward to.”
Food vendors set up shop along Berrong Street, which was closed to traffic. Local restaurants Monte Alban, Sundance Grill, Asiano’s, and Hawgs & Dawgs BBQ offered a selection of festival-friendly fare. Cub Scouts Troop 407 supplied soft drinks to heat-parched guests. The event ran until 2:00 pm, and the classic cars and trucks proceeded to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds to regroup for a sixty mile caravan cruise to Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia. The crew returned to the fairgrounds that evening to celebrate the Sour Mask Kickoff Bash, overlooking sparking Lake Chatuge.
The rally continued into the weekend at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, featuring music, food, vendors, and of course, plenty of hot rods.
(Feature Photo: Jerry Shook checks under the hood of his 1956 Ford Town Sedan)
Hiawassee, GA – Local celebrities, partnered with professionals, are brushing up their best moves to hit the dance floor for charity on Saturday, November 4.
Enotah CASA , a non-profit whose mission is to establish safe and permanent homes for local abused or neglected children, has announced their lineup for Dancing with North Georgia Stars.
Hiawassee Councilman Kris Berrong and Manager of Brothers Restaurant, Heath Ledford, will perform with a professional dance partner at the Union County Schools Fine Arts Center in Blairsville to raise funds for children in need of loving care.
Sponsored by United Community Bank, tickets are available for the event at the bank’s Hiawassee and Blairsville locations, the Towns County Chamber of Commerce, and from the dancers themselves.
Tickets are $40 per person and include a gala immediately following the charity event at North Georgia Technical College in Blairsville.
Music, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, tastings with Grandaddy Mimms, and a cash bar are in the “stars” for attendees.
Tickets for the show alone are $25 per person.
Doors open at 6:15 pm, the pre-show is scheduled for 6:30 pm, and the show itself begins at 7:00 pm.
Supporters can also cast their vote for their favorite dance team online or in person by cash, check, credit, or PayPal.
“[CASA] volunteers are trained to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in juvenile court. Our volunteers are assigned by the juvenile court judge to speak up for the needs of the children in court and they work with the children until the case is resolved satisfactorily. Our primary goal is to have the child in a safe and stable home as quickly as possible,” Event Chair Liz Ruf tells Fetch Your News.
For more information, contact CASA at 706.864.0300 or visit their website.
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw held a Special-Called Meeting on the morning of Friday, July 20, to sign a resolution pertaining to the transfer of a county money market account from South State Bank to United Community Bank in Hiawassee, where the the county will receive a higher interest rate return. “We know that it’s going to be a substantial amount of money,” Bradshaw said, “We’re going to gain quite a bit of money from doing this.” Along with the recent transfer of a certificate of deposit, Bradshaw sent the matter “out for bid” to ensure a maximum return for Towns County.
The money market account is used in conjunction with the county checking account which supplies funds for county operations. The transfer is expected to take place on August 1, 2018.
The commissioner added that he looks forward to reviewing the 2017 figures gained from sales tax revenue, expected in September. An amount of $48.7 million was collected during the previous fiscal year. With tourism steadily on the rise, Bradshaw hopes to receive an increasingly positive report.
Commissioner Bradshaw will hold his regularly monthly meeting at the Towns County Courthouse on Tuesday, August 21, at 5:30 p.m.
Meetings are open to the public.
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw held a special called meeting Friday, June 1, to announce the acceptance of a certificate of deposit (CD) bid from United Community Bank in Hiawassee.
“One of our CDs was coming up for renewal, so we bid it out between South State Bank and United Community Bank,” Bradshaw explained. “United Community won the bid with a higher interest rate. We did two CDs for a million dollars at $500,000 each.”